Mercedes Martinez-Hannon , LMFT

Mercedes Martinez-Hannon is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California with three years of experience supporting teens and adults. As an LMFT she is trained to work with individuals, couples, and families to address relational patterns and life transitions. She has also completed additional training as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), which brings attention to how the body stores and processes stress and trauma.

Her clinical focus includes stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and family concerns. She also works with issues related to attachment, guilt and shame, isolation and loneliness, and cultivating self-love. Mercedes emphasizes a compassionate, attuned stance in sessions, believing that empathic witnessing creates space for the natural capacity to heal and grow.

In therapy she blends relational understanding with somatic awareness and practical coping strategies to help clients navigate difficult emotions and relational challenges. Her approach aims to help people feel more grounded, connected, and able to move forward through life transitions and recovery from painful experiences.

Integrating Somatic and Relational Approaches Online

Mercedes brings together somatic-informed work and attachment-focused family therapy in a straightforward, accessible way. Somatic Experiencing techniques help clients notice bodily responses to stress and trauma and learn gentle ways to release held tension and overwhelm - this can be useful for anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, and chronic stress. Attachment-focused or family-oriented work examines how relationships and early patterns shape current emotional life, helping clients improve connection, set boundaries, and heal relational wounds.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Mercedes works with each person to understand their goals, symptoms, and preferences, then tailors methods so therapy fits the client rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all model. Clients and the therapist evaluate progress together and adjust techniques as needed.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility by allowing sessions via video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity during life changes, and access licensed professionals from a comfortable setting, while still engaging in meaningful, evidence-informed therapeutic work.