Tina LaPorta , LMFT

Tina LaPorta is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with 15 years of clinical experience working with adults and adolescents. She holds two master’s degrees in psychology—one in college teaching and a second in counseling with a specialization in marriage and family therapy—and brings that dual background to both educational and clinical settings.

Early in her career she served as an adjunct professor of psychology in the San Francisco Bay Area for six years before shifting into direct clinical work. In community mental health settings she worked with adults experiencing severe and chronic symptoms, including schizophrenia, and provided care across outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), and partial hospitalization programs. Her clinical practice has also included counseling for substance use and co-occurring disorders.

LaPorta has substantial experience with military populations, having provided counseling to active duty service members and combat veterans while working on military bases. She later served as a psychologist at Fort Sam Houston and worked with the Department of Defense at Fort Sam Houston and Fort Bliss. Following federal service she transitioned to the Department of Veterans Affairs and provided services in Vet Centers as a licensed marriage and family therapist.

Throughout her work she has focused on cognitive behavioral strategies, preferring a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach that targets thoughts and behaviors to support measurable change. Her practice addresses a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, addiction, grief, parenting challenges, self-esteem, and other life transitions. Tina LaPorta combines clinical experience, military and veteran expertise, and a strengths-based focus to support clients in pursuing meaningful change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a collaborative, nonjudgmental relationship in which the therapist listens closely and supports the client’s own goals and strengths. This approach is useful for relationship concerns, self-esteem work, and navigating life transitions because it centers the client’s perspective and priorities.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and shifting unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT is often applied to anxiety, depression, stress management, and many day-to-day coping challenges by teaching practical strategies that produce observable change.

Motivational Interviewing helps individuals explore and resolve ambivalence about change. It is frequently used with clients facing substance use, readiness for behavioral change, or commitment-related issues, and it supports intrinsic motivation through respectful, goal-oriented conversation.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Tina LaPorta works collaboratively with clients and licensed professionals to determine which methods best match a person’s needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility by making sessions available through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options help clients access care from different locations, fit sessions into busy schedules, and choose the format that feels most comfortable for their situation.