About Stella
Stella Galarza De Saggese brings forty years of clinical practice to her work as a California-licensed counselor. She holds the LPCC credential and draws on long experience helping people manage depression, anxiety, relationship struggles, trauma, and low self-esteem. Stella is bilingual in English and Spanish and focuses on practical, down-to-earth support.
She centers sessions on understanding each person's life story and cultural background. That means listening for what matters most, and building strategies that fit daily life.
Background and approach
Conversations are straightforward and aimed at small, doable changes that reduce stress and improve mood. Stella helps clients identify strengths and steady routines that make a difference. She teaches coping skills for overwhelming feelings and offers ways to handle conflict and communication problems.
For people recovering from trauma or grappling with grief, she works to restore a sense of safety and control over daily choices. Her practice also gives attention to issues like abandonment, blended family challenges, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and postpartum depression. She supports people dealing with guilt, shame, isolation, life-purpose questions, and midlife transitions.
Sessions mix practical exercises with reflective conversation so clients leave with clear next steps. Spanish-language sessions are available for those who prefer them. Stella accepts international clients and sees people through video, phone, live chat, or text messaging formats.
How evidence-based techniques translate to online care
Stella uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on skills and recovery. One common approach she uses teaches practical coping skills for anxiety and depression, such as breathing, grounding, and activity planning; these skills help reduce overwhelming feelings and improve daily functioning. Another approach concentrates on processing trauma by creating safety, pacing conversations, and building tools to manage triggers so people can regain steadier control over reactions and routines.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Stella works with each person to match methods to their needs, goals, and preferences. Over the first few sessions she and the client discuss what feels useful and adjust the plan together rather than sticking to a fixed protocol.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls allow face-to-face work for skills coaching and deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be helpful when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging support quick check-ins, homework review, and ongoing encouragement between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and travel schedules while keeping consistent progress.
Questions people ask
What concerns does Stella commonly address?
What is her therapy style like?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What credential and location apply to her practice?
Which languages are supported for sessions?
What session formats are available?
How is cost handled for sessions?
How do I begin working with her?
What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Multicultural concerns
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Visually impaired
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Experience
- 40 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English, Spanish