Annie C. Lockary, MA, PhD
Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Associate #131749
Supervised by Monica M. Huston, LMFT 118825
You Deserve a Place Where You Can Be Fully Yourself
Maybe you have been carrying something painful for a long time, repeating the same relationship patterns, struggling with addiction or recovery, or trying to hold your family together while feeling overwhelmed yourself. Therapy can be a place where you do not have to hide what you are going through. My goal is to create a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can better understand yourself, heal wounds from the past, strengthen important relationships, and build practical skills for meaningful, lasting change.
Telehealth in CA
Gottman Method
Motivational Interviewing
EMDR Level 1
Relationships & Family Connection
Child & Adolescent Mental Health
Military Populations
What I Help With
Addiction & Recovery
Addiction can affect far more than one person or one part of life. My experience includes supporting adults through addiction recovery and working in outpatient addiction treatment settings. I approach addiction from a relational and systemic perspective, looking at the individual as well as the relationships, family dynamics, and environments that may influence healing and recovery.
Couples, Relationships & Family Connection
Relationships can become painful when the same conflicts, disconnection, or patterns keep repeating. I work with couples and families to better understand what is happening beneath those patterns and create opportunities for stronger communication, healthier connection, and more loving relationships. My training includes the Gottman Method for couples therapy.
Children, Adolescents & Emotional Challenges
My clinical experience includes supporting children and adolescents facing severe mental health challenges. I work to create a secure and accepting environment where younger clients can express themselves honestly, better understand what they are experiencing, recognize their strengths, and develop skills that support healthier emotional growth.
Real conversations.
Deeper change.
My work is primarily psychodynamic, which means I'm interested not only in what's happening right now, but also in the deeper patterns, relationships, and experiences that may be shaping it.
I begin with the therapeutic relationship itself. Feeling genuinely cared for, understood, and safe enough to be vulnerable matters to me, because meaningful therapy requires more than simply exchanging advice.
Depending on what you need, I may also draw from CBT, DBT, and emotionally focused approaches. My style is warm, curious, relational, and sometimes humorous. Life can be heavy. We can take what you're experiencing seriously without pretending every minute of therapy has to feel painfully serious.
"You don't have to figure this out alone."
A space to be real, explore, and grow.
At our first meeting, I'll introduce myself, review informed consent, and take time to understand what brought you in, what feels difficult right now, and what you hope might feel different.
Some people arrive with a lot to say. Others aren't sure where to begin. Both are okay.
During the first few sessions, I focus on getting to know the person behind the problem, building trust, understanding your history and patterns, and developing treatment recommendations together.
Education & Training
Loyola Marymount University
MA in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling (2023)
BS in Chemistry - 2016
Newport Psychoanalytic Institute
Infants, Children, Adolescents Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Certificate — 2026
Additional Training
- Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) – Level I & II
- Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) – Level I
- Training through the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
Common Questions
There is no set timeline because each person and their goals are different. Some people benefit from shorter-term work around a specific concern, while others want more time to explore deeper patterns and relationships. We’ll discuss your goals and the direction of therapy together.
We’ll talk about what brings you to therapy and whether my experience and approach fit your needs. I believe in being honest about the limits of my experience. If another provider or level of care would be more appropriate, I’ll discuss that with you and help identify a more suitable resource.
It depends on what brings you to therapy and what each person needs. Individual therapy can offer space to understand your own emotions, needs and relationship patterns. For others, starting together in couples therapy makes sense. We can discuss which starting point may fit your situation.
Faith Can Be Part of Therapy
I offer optional Catholic and Christian faith integration when requested by the client. Faith, spirituality and religious experiences can be explored when they are meaningful to you and relevant to your goals. They do not have to be part of therapy.
A Little More About Me
I’m a therapist, published author, and someone deeply interested in faith, psychology and psychoanalytic thinking. I love comedy shows and the symphony, and I’m equally happy exploring life’s deeper questions or laughing at something completely ridiculous. Compassion and humor both have a place in how I connect with people.
Therapy Built Around You, Not a One-Size-Fits-All Formula
My approach is rooted in compassion, collaboration, and individualized care. I believe healing happens most effectively within a safe and trusting relationship where you feel heard, respected, and empowered. Depending on your needs and goals, I may draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the Gottman Method, Motivational Interviewing, EMDR Level 1, and relational or systemic approaches. Rather than forcing one method to fit every person, I adapt therapy to the individual, couple, or family I am working with.
A Safe Place to Be Honest About What’s Really Going On
You do not need to arrive knowing exactly what needs to change. Therapy can begin with simply talking honestly about what you have been carrying. Together, we can explore past experiences, relationship patterns, difficult emotions, and the strengths you already have. My goal is to create a secure, nonjudgmental space where you can share your authentic self, develop practical tools and insights, and begin making changes that support stronger relationships, personal growth, and lasting healing.
A safe place to be real, explore, and grow.
You Don’t Have to Keep Carrying It Alone
Therapy can be a place where you do not have to pretend everything is fine or have all the answers. Whether you are navigating addiction and recovery, struggling in an important relationship, supporting a child through serious emotional challenges, or trying to understand patterns that keep repeating, we can work together to better understand what is happening and what meaningful change could look like for you.
A Little More About My Work
My clinical experience spans outpatient addiction programs, community services, and educational environments. I have worked alongside multidisciplinary teams, case managers, medical professionals, and other clinicians, and my experience has also included facilitating women’s empowerment workshops and supervising trainees. My doctoral dissertation explored addiction within military populations, which deepened my interest in relational and systemic work with addiction and military communities.
Education & Training
San Diego State University
- Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology
Alliant International University
- Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy
- PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy
Advanced Clinical Training
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Gottman Method for Couples Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- EMDR Level 1
- Relational and Systemic Approaches
Common Questions
Yes. I work with individuals, couples, and families. My experience includes helping couples and families better understand relationship patterns, strengthen connection, and work toward healthier and more loving relationships.
Yes. My clinical experience includes supporting adults through addiction recovery and working in outpatient addiction treatment settings. My doctoral research also explored addiction within military populations.
My training includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the Gottman Method for couples therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and EMDR Level 1. I use a collaborative and flexible approach, drawing from different methods depending on the needs and goals of each individual, couple, or family.
Start Understanding What Keeps Repeating
You do not have to keep trying to figure everything out alone. Therapy can help you understand what is happening beneath the surface, heal painful patterns, strengthen important relationships, and begin creating meaningful change. Tell us a little about what has been going on and we can help determine whether Annie’s experience and approach may be a good fit for you.
