- Guilt and shame
- Attachment and abandonment
- Grief and loss
About Zerly
Zerly Justiniano is a California-licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 20 years of professional experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression. Zerly also addresses concerns such as abandonment, attachment issues, codependency, forgiveness, guilt and shame, multicultural concerns, narcissism, women's issues, workplace strain, and young adult transitions.
She approaches therapy as a collaborative process that recognizes the client as the expert in their own life. Sessions focus on identifying strengths and practical steps clients can use to manage symptoms and make clearer choices. Zerly emphasizes listening first and then helping people try new ways of responding to old patterns.
In practice she helps people talk through what keeps them stuck and notice patterns that were learned early in life. Conversations may include examining relationship dynamics, handling grief and loss, and addressing how cultural background shapes feelings of guilt and shame. Zerly helps clients test small changes between sessions and reflect on what works.
Her work with attachment and codependency looks at boundaries and how people connect with others. When trauma or abuse is part of the story, she focuses on practical coping tools and pacing the work so it fits each person's tolerance. For stress and anxiety, Zerly uses straightforward strategies to reduce overwhelm and improve daily functioning.
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule an initial appointment via the platform's booking flow.
How her approaches translate to online work
Evidence-based techniques Zerly uses are delivered in plain, practical terms during sessions. She draws on approaches that focus on relationships and attachment to help people notice patterns in how they connect with others and how those patterns affect guilt and shame. Such work looks at boundaries, expectations, and steps to try differently in everyday interactions.She also uses trauma-informed coping strategies that teach breathing, grounding, and pacing so difficult material can be handled without becoming overwhelming. These techniques help people manage intense emotions and return to routine tasks more easily. For stress and anxiety, she offers straightforward behavioral strategies to reduce worry and improve daily functioning.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Zerly will collaborate with each person to identify what methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they decide which techniques to try and adjust them based on what feels most useful.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Licensed professionals can use those benefits to help therapy fit alongside work, family, and other commitments.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
20+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English, Spanish
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression. Additional focus areas include guilt and shame, abandonment, attachment issues, codependency, and related topics.
How would she describe her therapy style?
Zerly works collaboratively and treats the client as the expert in their story. She listens first, then suggests practical steps and small experiments to try between sessions.
How much experience does she have?
She has 20 years of professional work experience as a practicing therapist in California.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a California LMFT and practices in California.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.
Does she work with clients outside the United States?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session through the platform.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.