About Joanna
Joanna Sanchez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Alaska who helps people manage anxiety, stress, addiction recovery, grief, and major life changes. She brings a calm, conversational approach and focuses on listening closely to what matters most to each person.
She has 15 years of experience in outpatient therapy, residential treatment, and leadership roles in mental health and substance use care. Her background includes a Master of Social Work and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology, which inform how she blends different methods in practice.
Background and approach
Joanna takes a relational, insight-oriented approach. Sessions often center on talking through patterns, understanding the roots of problems, and finding practical ways to move forward. She combines psychodynamic thinking with trauma-informed care and uses narrative techniques and cognitive behavioral tools when they fit the client’s needs.
Her style is warm and collaborative. Joanna aims to tailor the pace and focus to each person's goals, whether that means exploring past experiences, building new coping skills, or working through relationship or attachment concerns.
People come for help with a wide range of issues including post-traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, communication problems, guilt and shame, isolation, identity and LGBT-related concerns, and sex addiction. Joanna works to create an affirming space where clients can reflect, process, and plan next steps.
If someone wants a thoughtful listener who also offers practical steps, Joanna’s approach balances deep conversation with clear strategies for change.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Joanna uses psychodynamic approaches to help people uncover patterns that shape feelings and relationships. This work focuses on how past experiences and attachment can influence current behavior and emotional responses, often helping with anxiety, grief, and relationship concerns.She also integrates trauma-informed care that recognizes the impact of trauma on the body and mind and guides pacing and safety during sessions. Cognitive behavioral techniques are used when helpful to build concrete coping skills for managing anxiety, cravings, or mood shifts.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Joanna will work together with each person to weigh goals, preferences, and life demands and then try methods that fit the situation. If something doesn’t feel helpful, she adjusts the plan so the work stays relevant and manageable.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and nonverbal cues, phone sessions can be an easier fit when bandwidth is low, and messaging supports brief check-ins or step-by-step work between appointments. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives across Alaska and beyond while working with a licensed professional.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Also listed
- Experience
- 15 years
- Licensed
- Alaska
- Languages
- English, Spanish
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