Joanna Sanchez, LCSW

Joanna Sanchez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Alaska who brings over 15 years of experience supporting people through emotional, relational, and life transitions. She holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) and a master’s degree in clinical psychology, and her background includes outpatient therapy, residential treatment, and leadership roles in mental health and substance use care. Joanna works with individuals facing stress, anxiety, addiction recovery, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, and major life changes, and she also supports those coping with compassion fatigue, relationship challenges, and issues related to identity and family dynamics.

Her approach is warm, collaborative, and insight oriented, emphasizing deep conversation that moves beyond surface-level coping skills to explore underlying patterns and meaning. Joanna practices from a relational and psychodynamic lens while integrating trauma-informed care, narrative therapy, and cognitive behavioral techniques as needed. She tailors treatment to each person’s unique needs, goals, and pace, offering a thoughtful blend of reflection, practical strategies, and paced exploration.

Joanna aims to create an affirming space where clients feel seen and supported as they work toward greater clarity, connection, and well-being. She partners with clients who are ready to examine the “why” behind patterns and to take steps toward healing and change.

Evidence-Based Approaches for Online Care

Joanna commonly draws from relational and psychodynamic work, which focuses on the ways early relationships and emotional patterns influence current behavior and feelings. This approach supports exploration of relationship dynamics, attachment concerns, and long-standing patterns that contribute to distress.

She also uses trauma-informed methods that prioritize understanding how traumatic experiences affect emotions, reactions, and coping. These techniques help people process difficult memories, reduce reactivity, and build safer, more regulated ways of responding to stress. Cognitive behavioral methods are integrated when practical skills and behavior changes are helpful, offering tools for managing anxiety, mood, and unhelpful thought patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Joanna works collaboratively with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting techniques over time as progress and priorities evolve.

Online therapy with Joanna is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, providing flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These options make it easier to attend sessions from home or work and to maintain continuity of care when life is busy or circumstances change, while still working with a licensed professional who can guide the therapeutic process.