- Calm practical support
- Skill focused sessions
- Longstanding experience
About Erma
Erma Wardley is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing anxiety, stress, depression, and panic symptoms. She approaches each person with calm attention and practical guidance. Many people come for help with overwhelming worry, mood changes, and life transitions. She uses straightforward conversation to help clients find clearer thinking and steadier days.
Wardley draws on 22 years of experience as a California LCSW. She focuses on building a trusting space where people can talk honestly without fear of judgment. Sessions aim to increase self-awareness, boost confidence, and reduce intense emotional reactions. She encourages small, manageable steps that fit into daily life.
Her work brings together several therapy methods. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers tools for regulating strong emotions and improving distress tolerance. Mindfulness practices support staying present and noticing patterns without harsh self-judgment.
She also uses client-centered and psychodynamic ideas to better understand values and repeated life patterns. That combination helps when people face trauma, relationship problems, or feelings of abandonment and shame. Sessions often include skill practice, reflection, and goal-setting tailored to the person's needs.
Erma respects that starting therapy can feel hard. Her role is to support and empower people as they make changes. To begin, she asks about current struggles and goals, then works with each person to shape a plan that feels realistic and hopeful.
How her approaches translate to online therapy
Erma uses a mix of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy alongside client-centered listening. CBT focuses on spotting and changing unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors, which can reduce anxiety and panic symptoms. DBT provides concrete tools for managing intense emotions, improving distress tolerance, and building routines that lower reactivity.Finding the best approach is a collaborative process. She will listen to your goals and try different strategies together. Over time you and the therapist decide which methods help most, and you can shift focus as needs change.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, shorten travel time, and allow brief check-ins when needed. They also support continuing work between in-person visits and practicing skills in everyday settings. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises, worksheets, and mindfulness practices to an online format to keep progress moving forward.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
22+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, self-esteem issues, and coping with life changes. Panic disorder and panic attacks are listed among her focus areas.
What is her general approach in sessions?
Sessions combine practical skill teaching with open conversation. Techniques include thought work, emotion regulation skills, and mindfulness practices tailored to daily life.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 22 years of professional work experience as a clinician working with the listed concerns.
What credentials and region apply to this therapist?
She holds an LCSW credential and practices in California.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.