Mara Bruckner, LMFT

Mara Bruckner is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in Southern California with 22 years of experience across private practice and county and state-funded agencies. Her early work included providing behavior therapy for young children, teens, and adults on the autism spectrum, using methods such as play therapy, applied behavior analysis (ABA), social skills groups, and parent guidance.

In private practice she has extensive experience supporting teens and adults with Asperger's or high functioning autism, as well as people coping with anxiety, depression, and other difficulties that commonly emerge during adolescence. She also works with adults of any age. She is certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an evidence-based approach that targets patterns of thinking and behavior and is often used for depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and relationship concerns.

Bruckner's counseling style is warm and interactive, with thoughtful use of humor to help ease heavier topics. She approaches each person with respect and adapts treatment to individual needs, drawing on a blend of client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, psychodynamic perspectives, and solution-focused strategies. She emphasizes collaboration so clients participate actively in their sessions and in planning their care. She looks forward to working with prospective clients.