Anke Kalaiah , LMFT

Anke Kalaiah is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California with a background in working across family systems and individual concerns. She combines formal training in counseling with lived experience as an immigrant to support people navigating multicultural challenges, adoption and foster care dynamics, and issues related to assimilation. Anke holds a Bachelor degree in German and Social Psychology from Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, and completed a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University in 2011. She received her clinical license as an LMFT in 2014 and has developed a broad clinical practice over 15 years.

Her clinical focus includes trauma and abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, family and marital conflict, divorce and coparenting problems, blended family and parenting issues, as well as stress, anxiety, depression and addictions. Anke works from an eclectic, client-centered perspective that emphasizes clients as experts in their own lives while using strengths-based and solutions-focused strategies to set goals and build practical skills. She integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to explore links among thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and employs Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotion regulation when helpful.

Fluent in English and German, Anke brings experience with diverse cultural backgrounds and a range of age groups. Her practice aims to equip people with tools to manage current challenges and to collaborate on treatment plans that reflect each person or family's priorities and values.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Anke Kalaiah integrates client-centered therapy, which places the person's experience at the center of the work and supports clients in directing the pace and goals of therapy. This approach is helpful for people seeking a collaborative environment to explore identity, relationships, and life transitions.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients notice and test connections among thoughts, feelings and behaviors, which can be useful for stress, anxiety, depression and coping with difficult life changes. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills are offered to teach mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotion regulation for individuals managing strong emotions or relationship conflict.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Anke works collaboratively with clients to identify the strategies that best match their needs, goals and preferences, and adapts methods as progress unfolds.

Online therapy with Anke can take place by video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for schedules and life demands. These formats make it easier to attend regular sessions, continue care through transitions, and select the communication style that feels most comfortable for each person.