Rachel Carlos, LMFT

Rachel Carlos is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California who brings nine years of clinical experience to her work with individuals and families. She has spent much of her career supporting at-risk populations, including people involved with foster care and the juvenile justice system, and she also draws on years of social work experience to inform her clinical perspective.

In addition to direct clinical practice, Rachel manages operations for a non-profit program that provides clinical case management services, combining hands-on therapeutic skills with organizational leadership. She emphasizes a strength-based, client-driven approach that centers self-love, self-acceptance, and emotional well-being, creating a welcoming environment for clients from diverse backgrounds.

Rachel commonly integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing into her sessions to address trauma, depression, anxiety, and challenges related to work-life balance and self-esteem. She also employs client-centered principles and mindfulness-informed strategies as needed, tailoring interventions to each person’s goals. Her practice includes support for relationship and family concerns, grief and loss, parenting and postpartum issues, caregiver stress, and multicultural matters. Rachel aims to offer practical tools and compassionate guidance to help clients navigate life transitions and build resilience.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Rachel practices using client-centered principles that prioritize the person’s own goals and strengths, creating space for each client to guide the pace and focus of therapy. This approach is helpful for building self-esteem, improving communication, and navigating life transitions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a practical, skills-based method Rachel often uses to help clients identify and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. CBT can be effective for managing anxiety, depression, and stress by teaching concrete tools for coping and problem solving.

Motivational Interviewing supports clients who are seeking change but may feel ambivalent. It emphasizes collaboration and gentle exploration of values and goals, which can be useful for addressing motivation-related concerns such as substance use, behavioral shifts, or establishing healthy routines.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Rachel works collaboratively with clients and licensed professionals to determine which methods best match a person’s needs, goals, and preferences. She adapts strategies over time as those needs evolve.

Online therapy offers flexible access to care through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, reach supportive therapists from different locations within California, and maintain continuity of care during life changes.