Stacey Sugar, MD, LCPC, LPCC

Stacey Sugar is a psychotherapist who uses cognitive behavioral techniques alongside attachment-based and client-centered work to help people make sense of painful patterns. She holds an MD and licensure as an LCPC and LPCC, and brings 14 years of clinical experience in California. Her style is direct but compassionate, focused on practical steps people can take right away.

Stacey believes people can change how they relate to their past and to others. She helps clients notice repeated themes - like fear of abandonment, codependency, or trouble trusting - and then tries manageable ways to respond differently. Sessions blend talk work with concrete skills so clients leave with something to practice between meetings.

Common concerns she addresses include anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, addiction, and problems tied to family of origin. Stacey also supports people dealing with career stress, first responder strain, body image, and shame or guilt. The approach aims to reduce distress and increase day-to-day functioning.

Therapy often looks at how early attachment shapes current reactions. Stacey uses client-centered listening to understand each person’s priorities and then offers behavioral strategies drawn from CBT. She incorporates mindfulness and, when appropriate, hypnotherapeutic techniques to deepen focus on present experience.

Stacey encourages a paced, collaborative process. She helps people test new ways of relating and offers feedback along the way. The goal is clearer self-awareness and practical change that fits each person’s life and values.

How therapy approaches translate to online care

Stacey uses cognitive behavioral ideas to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes that feel doable. CBT-style work often focuses on clear goals, homework between sessions, and tracking progress to reduce anxiety or depression.

She also draws on attachment-based work to look at how early relationship patterns influence current difficulties. That approach helps people understand reactions in close relationships and practice new ways of relating that feel safer and more satisfying.

Finding the right approach is part of therapy. Stacey works collaboratively to match methods to each person's needs, goals, and preferences. She checks in about what is and isn’t helpful and adapts techniques over time.

Online formats offer flexibility for different tasks and moods. Video calls are useful for deeper conversations and observing nonverbal cues, while phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging work well for quick skill reminders, brief check-ins, and ongoing support between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life while keeping the focus on practical change.