Cynthia Cunningham, LMFT

Cynthia Cunningham is a California licensed marriage and family therapist with 27 years of experience. She combines personal experience in long-term recovery with many years helping people change patterns that no longer serve them. Cynthia writes plainly and focuses on practical steps people can use right away.

She understands what it feels like to face addiction and codependency because she has been sober for 35 years and lived through similar struggles. That perspective shapes how she talks with people about boundaries, self-respect, and stopping destructive relationship patterns. Sessions are calm and direct, aimed at helping people make clear decisions about their lives.

Cynthia draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other approaches to help people shift thoughts and habits that keep them stuck. She also uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationship patterns affect current choices. Many conversations include skill building - for example, how to say no in a kind but firm way.

Common concerns she addresses include anxiety, panic, depression, addictions, self-esteem, grief, intimacy issues, sleep and eating problems, and struggles at work or in relationships. She also works with people facing complex personality or mood issues and caregiving stress. Cynthia encourages clients to set their own goals and stay in control of the process.

Her style is companionable and practical. She offers clear tools, straightforward feedback, and steady support while people practice new behaviors. Cynthia invites anyone ready to take a first step to reach out and begin a different path.

How Cynthia’s approaches fit online therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with more useful ones, often using short exercises and homework that suit video or messaging sessions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on values and present-moment actions, helping people make commitments that match what matters to them rather than getting stuck in avoidance.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how past relationship patterns shape current connections and emotional responses, which can be explored in conversation and through reflective exercises during sessions. Cynthia uses these approaches to tailor work to each person's needs and goals, and she collaborates with clients to decide which ideas to try first and how to measure progress.

Online therapy offers flexibility for busy schedules and different comfort levels. Video calls allow for face-to-face interaction and more in-depth work. Phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth is limited or a quick check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for short updates, skill practice, or when someone prefers writing between sessions. These options make it easier to keep momentum and try new skills in everyday life.