- Warm collaborative style
- Practical coping tools
- Experience with autism
About Mara
Mara Bruckner is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 22 years of clinical experience in California. She has worked in independent practice and in county and state funded agencies, offering behavior-focused services for children, teens, and adults on the autism spectrum as well as adults seeking help for anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns. Mara’s approach is warm and interactive, and she often uses light humor to ease tense moments.
In earlier roles she provided play therapy, applied behavior analysis support, social skills groups, and guidance for parents navigating autism spectrum challenges. That background informs how she structures sessions for people who need clear, practical strategies and steady support. She has experience with teens and adults who have Asperger’s or high-functioning autism, alongside a broad caseload of mood and anxiety concerns.
Mara uses a mix of approaches to match the person in front of her. She draws on client-centered methods to build a collaborative relationship and on psychodynamic ideas to look at long-standing patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which she has been certified in, supplies tools for changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
Her manner is respectful and flexible; she tailors sessions to each person’s goals and needs. She often helps people work through stress, self-esteem struggles, grief, addictions, parenting pressures, and relationship or intimacy issues. Clients can expect practical steps, focused conversation, and a calm presence.
Sessions are conducted in English and Mara practices in California. She is not accepting international clients. To begin, clients follow the provider's matching process to match and schedule with her.
In earlier roles she provided play therapy, applied behavior analysis support, social skills groups, and guidance for parents navigating autism spectrum challenges. That background informs how she structures sessions for people who need clear, practical strategies and steady support. She has experience with teens and adults who have Asperger’s or high-functioning autism, alongside a broad caseload of mood and anxiety concerns.
Mara uses a mix of approaches to match the person in front of her. She draws on client-centered methods to build a collaborative relationship and on psychodynamic ideas to look at long-standing patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which she has been certified in, supplies tools for changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
Her manner is respectful and flexible; she tailors sessions to each person’s goals and needs. She often helps people work through stress, self-esteem struggles, grief, addictions, parenting pressures, and relationship or intimacy issues. Clients can expect practical steps, focused conversation, and a calm presence.
Sessions are conducted in English and Mara practices in California. She is not accepting international clients. To begin, clients follow the provider's matching process to match and schedule with her.