Elizabeth Harding, LMFT. Therapist in Petaluma, CA
If you're looking for a therapist in Petaluma, California, I'm Elizabeth Harding, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT #135626) serving individuals and couples throughout Petaluma and the greater Sonoma County area. I offer therapy for anxiety, relationship challenges, life transitions, and a range of other concerns, with in-person sessions in downtown Petaluma and telehealth options available to anyone in California.
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Explore My Areas of Focus
Learn more about the specific approaches and specialties that guide my work with individuals and couples.
Couples Therapy
For partners navigating communication breakdowns, recurring conflict, growing distance, or significant rupture.
Learn More →Anxiety Therapy
For individuals living with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, chronic stress, or the exhaustion of holding it all together.
Learn More →Trauma Therapy
For those carrying the weight of past experiences that continue to shape how they move through relationships and daily life.
Learn More →IFS Therapy
Internal Family Systems offers a compassionate framework for understanding the different parts of yourself and how they work together.
Learn More →Gottman Method
A research-based approach to couples therapy focused on building friendship, managing conflict, and creating shared meaning.
Learn More →Why Petaluma Residents Seek Therapy
Petaluma is a community with deep roots. A city that blends small-town character with the pressures of modern life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Whether you're navigating the demands of a long commute, managing cost-of-living stress, raising a family in a changing community, or working through something more personal, the reasons people seek therapy here are as varied as the people themselves.
- Anxiety and chronic stress, including workplace pressure, relationship uncertainty, and the low-grade worry that can accumulate over months or years
- Relationship and communication difficulties, including recurring conflict, emotional distance, or major life-stage transitions such as parenthood or relocation
- Life transitions, whether that's a career change, a move to Petaluma, a divorce, a loss, or entering a new phase of adulthood
- Depression and mood concerns, including persistent low mood, loss of motivation, or the sense of going through the motions without feeling fully present
- Identity and self-worth. Who you are, what you want, and how to build a life that feels genuinely yours
You don't need to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Many people I work with are simply ready to understand themselves better or to stop repeating patterns that aren't serving them.
My Approach to Therapy
My work is primarily influenced by Attachment Theory and Internal Family Systems, and I have completed Gottman Level 1 training. My approach will vary based on each client's unique needs and goals. Taking a trauma-informed view is important to me, and is something I continually strive to educate myself on.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS is a way of understanding the different parts of ourselves: the parts that protect us, the parts that carry pain, and the parts that lead with clarity. I use IFS to help clients build a relationship with these inner parts so they can understand why they feel or behave certain ways and begin making changes from a place of self-compassion rather than self-criticism.
Attachment Theory
Many of the patterns we carry into adult relationships, work, and self-concept trace back to early attachment experiences. Understanding how your attachment style shapes your connections with others often opens new pathways for change in how you relate to partners, family, friends, and yourself.
Gottman Method
For couples work, I draw on the Gottman Method to help partners understand the communication patterns that keep them stuck. This research-based approach focuses on building friendship, managing conflict constructively, and creating shared meaning. These are practical skills that strengthen the relationship over time.
My goal is for therapy to feel like a genuine collaboration. A space where you are seen clearly, where your goals are taken seriously, and where the work is tailored to your actual life.
Serving Petaluma and Surrounding Areas
My practice is based in downtown Petaluma, and I serve clients living throughout Petaluma's neighborhoods as well as neighboring communities across Sonoma and Marin counties. Telehealth is available to any California resident, making it possible to begin therapy without navigating a commute.
- Petaluma
- Rohnert Park
- Cotati
- Santa Rosa
- Novato
- Sonoma County
- Marin County
- Telehealth (all of California)
Getting Started
Sessions are $140 for both individuals and couples. I am in-network with plans under the Aetna and Optum umbrella, including UnitedHealthcare, Oscar, Oxford, UMR, and others. A limited number of sliding scale spots are also available. Please ask if this is needed. I accept credit or debit card, cash, or check.
If you're considering therapy and aren't sure where to start, the best first step is a free consultation. This is a brief call where we can talk about what's bringing you to therapy, answer your questions about my approach, and see whether we'd be a good fit before you commit to anything.
Schedule a Free ConsultationCall 707-634-4927
Frequently Asked Questions. Therapy in Petaluma, CA
I offer individual therapy for adults and adolescents, as well as couples therapy. My approach is primarily informed by Internal Family Systems (IFS), Attachment Theory, and the Gottman Method, and I take a trauma-informed perspective with all clients. Both in-person sessions in downtown Petaluma and telehealth sessions throughout California are available.
Yes. Telehealth sessions are available to all California residents, including those in Petaluma and throughout Sonoma and Marin counties. Many of my clients prefer telehealth for its flexibility, particularly those managing demanding work schedules or family caregiving responsibilities.
Sessions are currently $140 for both individuals and couples. I also keep a limited number of sliding scale spots available. If cost is a concern, please reach out to ask whether a sliding scale spot is open. I accept credit or debit card, cash, or check.
Yes. I am in-network with plans under the Aetna and Optum umbrella, including UnitedHealthcare, Oscar, Oxford, UMR, Meritain, and several others. If you have one of these as your primary insurance, let me know and I can check your eligibility. For clients with other insurance plans, I can provide documentation for out-of-network reimbursement.
Therapy is useful at any stage, not only in moments of crisis. If you're experiencing persistent stress, relationship patterns you'd like to change, difficulty moving through a life transition, or simply a sense that something isn't quite right and you'd like support in figuring it out, therapy is likely worth exploring. A free initial consultation is a low-commitment way to find out.
The first session is a chance for us to get to know each other. I'll ask about what's bringing you to therapy, your history, and what you're hoping to work toward. You don't need to prepare anything in advance. We'll also talk about whether working together feels like a good fit, and I'll answer any questions you have about the process.
Please contact me directly to confirm current availability. I maintain a limited caseload to ensure each client receives attentive, high-quality care, so openings vary. The best way to check is to reach out through the contact page or call me at 707-634-4927.
An LMFT is a licensed mental health professional in California who has completed a graduate degree in counseling or marriage and family therapy, accumulated a minimum of 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, and passed state licensing examinations. Despite the name, LMFTs work with individuals, couples, and families across a broad range of emotional, relational, and psychological concerns. My license number is #135626, verifiable through the California Department of Consumer Affairs.
Take the First Step
If you're ready to explore therapy in Petaluma, I'd welcome the opportunity to connect. You can reach me through the contact form on this site, or call to schedule your free initial consultation. Therapy works best when the fit is right. The consultation is the place to find out.
Schedule a Free Consultation