Rika Lopez

Rika Lopez is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 15 years of clinical experience. She works with adults, couples, and family concerns and focuses on helping people manage addiction-related behaviors, relationship pain, and intense emotions like anger. Sessions are offered in English and Japanese in California.

Rika supports people who face compulsive sexual behaviors and the partners affected by those behaviors. She also helps people coping with depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and major life changes. Her approach blends practical tools with attention to relational patterns that underlie difficult behaviors.

In sessions she uses cognitive behavioral ideas to notice and change unhelpful thoughts and actions. She also draws on attachment-based and client-centered approaches to help people understand how early relationships shape current reactions. Mindfulness techniques are introduced to manage strong emotions in the moment.

Rika acknowledges the particular struggles people face in faith communities when dealing with sexual acting-out and shame. She aims to create a space where people can talk honestly about hurt without being judged. That includes supporting parents who feel overwhelmed and partners who are trying to rebuild trust.

Therapy is presented as a step-by-step process rather than a quick fix. Rika emphasizes steady progress and practical skills that can be used between sessions. To begin, a simple matching questionnaire and scheduling step connect prospective clients with the therapist.

Approaches you can use online with a therapist

Attachment-based work looks at how early relationship patterns shape current reactions. It helps people understand why they get triggered in relationships and how to respond differently. Client-centered therapy focuses on the person in the room, offering empathic listening and reflection so people can clarify their goals and values. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches straightforward skills to spot and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can ease symptoms of anxiety, depression, and compulsive actions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work together with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That may mean combining mindful practices, attachment-focused exploration, and CBT techniques over time to address both immediate symptoms and deeper relational patterns.

The practical value of online therapy is that it can fit into busy lives and make it easier to keep consistent appointments. Before booking, confirm which session formats are currently offered. Sessions can support steady skill practice, check-ins between appointments, and progress that integrates with everyday routines without requiring major travel.