- Stress and anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- English and Spanish
About Stella
Stella Galarza De Saggese is a California Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) with 40 years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, trauma and abuse, and self-esteem concerns. Stella speaks English and Spanish and accepts international clients.
She helps people untangle difficult feelings and patterns that follow major life changes. That can mean talking through relationship hurts, coping with loss or abandonment, or managing overwhelm from caregiving and chronic illness. She also supports those rethinking life purpose or navigating a midlife transition.
Stella draws on long clinical experience and evidence-based approaches to shape sessions. Conversations focus on practical coping skills, clearer communication, and ways to reduce day-to-day distress. She pays attention to cultural background and how it affects how people experience problems.
In sessions she works at a steady, direct pace. Clients can expect to identify small steps to test between meetings. Work often includes practicing new ways to handle triggers, reworking old patterns, and building more reliable routines for mood and stress.
Stella is available for help with issues such as postpartum depression, post-traumatic stress, guilt and shame, isolation, blended-family stress, and the emotional impact of natural or human-caused disasters. She frames therapy as a collaborative process that focuses on concrete change rather than quick fixes.
Evidence-based methods and online sessions
Stella uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to guide her work. One common approach focuses on practical coping skills to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms through structured exercises and behavior changes. This helps people manage day-to-day distress and build steadier routines.A second approach emphasizes processing trauma-related reactions in manageable steps, helping people make sense of past events and reduce their hold on current feeling and behavior. That work often pairs grounding practices with gradual changes to how people respond to triggers.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. She will collaborate with the person to decide which techniques fit their goals, needs, and cultural background. The therapist adjusts methods as progress is reviewed and new concerns arise.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow a quicker check-in on high-stress days. Different formats suit different practical needs - for example, phone sessions can be shorter for brief check-ins, while video allows fuller interaction - so discuss what will work best when scheduling.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
40+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English, Spanish
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address related to life direction?
She works with people questioning life purpose, facing a midlife crisis, or feeling isolated after big changes. Other areas include depression, anxiety, and relationship problems.
How would she approach someone who feels stuck?
She uses evidence-based techniques and practical skill-building to reduce distress and increase clarity. Sessions focus on small, testable changes and improved communication.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 40 years of experience working with a wide range of emotional and relational concerns.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a California LPCC - Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor practicing from California.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages or from other countries?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she does accept international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.