Graciela "Gracie” Wangsnes, LCSW

Graciela "Gracie" Wangsnes is a licensed clinical social worker in California. She brings 10 years of experience and works in both English and Spanish. Gracie is approachable and aims to make the first step easier for people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, or trauma.

Gracie uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside other evidence-informed methods to help clients change unhelpful thinking patterns and try new behaviors. She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, client-centered techniques, and skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy when they fit a person's needs. Sessions are conversational and practical, focused on what matters most to each person.

She often supports people dealing with low self-esteem, body image concerns, guilt and shame, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Gracie helps people sort through family conflict and the emotional fallout of past abuse. Her aim is to help clients build small, manageable steps toward feeling more able to handle daily life.

In sessions she listens closely and adapts the plan as progress and goals change. People can expect a warm, interactive style that balances support with clear tools to practice between meetings. Gracie recognizes that starting therapy takes courage and works to make the process understandable and doable.

Gracie works with each person to set goals, try techniques, and review what is helping. She keeps language simple and focuses on real-life changes over time.

How Gracie applies therapy online and by phone

Gracie often blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy when working online. CBT focuses on noticing and changing thoughts and behaviors that get in the way of daily life, which can help with anxiety, depression, and social fears. ACT emphasizes accepting difficult feelings while clarifying values and taking steps toward a meaningful life, which can be useful for stress, shame, and long-term worries.

Choosing the right approach happens together. Gracie will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't helped in the past. That collaborative conversation guides which tools and exercises she uses and how sessions are structured over time.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering options for different situations. Video works well for deeper conversational work and teaching skills. Phone sessions can be easier when video is difficult or bandwidth is limited. Live chat and messaging suit brief check-ins, homework reviews, or when someone prefers shorter, written exchanges. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life while still focusing on practical change and consistent follow-up.