Cynthia Cunningham , LMFT

Cynthia Cunningham is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California with more than 27 years of professional experience. She brings both clinical expertise and personal insight to her work, drawing on 35 years of sobriety and her own recovery from codependency and love addiction to connect with people facing similar struggles.

Her practice focuses on helping individuals and families navigate addictions, relationship and intimacy challenges, anxiety and panic, depression and bipolar mood concerns, grief, stress, self-esteem difficulties, sleep and eating troubles, ADHD, and career or life transitions. She also addresses attachment and abandonment issues, codependency, communication and control problems, blended family dynamics, caregiver stress, and other complex presentations that affect daily functioning and relationships.

Cynthia uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic approaches to support change, while keeping the client in control of the therapeutic process. She teaches practical skills such as setting boundaries and saying no in a kind but firm way, and she works with clients who want to stop investing in unreciprocated relationships and begin prioritizing self-care.

Known for a compassionate, companion-style approach, she emphasizes collaboration and respects each person s pace. She would be honored to work with those ready to begin a process of healing and change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to clarify their values and take committed action toward a meaningful life, even when uncomfortable thoughts or feelings arise. It is useful for anxiety, stress, and life transitions where motivation and values alignment are central.

Attachment-Based Therapy explores patterns formed in close relationships and how early bonds influence current connections and emotional responses. It can help with intimacy issues, abandonment concerns, codependency, and improving relationship dynamics.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns through practical strategies. It is commonly used to address anxiety, panic, depression, and habits that interfere with daily functioning.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Cynthia works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds.

Online sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging make therapy more flexible and accessible, allowing people to fit sessions into busy schedules, access support from home, and maintain continuity of care during life changes. Licensed professionals can adapt these formats to provide interactive, skills-based work and emotional support in ways that suit each client.