Peggy Lingard , LCSW

Peggy Lingard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a career shaped by both personal upheaval and professional rigor. After relocating to California for a dream job, she encountered a profound disruption that led her to rebuild supports, reconnect with strengths, and rediscover joy through nature and painting - a practice she has maintained for nearly two decades. Those early lessons inform her therapeutic stance, which emphasizes action as well as reflection and the value of reconnecting with meaningful activities.

She trained with leading professionals and developed expertise in a wide range of approaches, including Family Systems Theory, problem-solving, divorce mediation, solution-focused and narrative therapies, dialectical behavior therapy, resilience work, and mindfulness. While Peggy is well versed in evidence-based techniques and is glad to discuss the research behind them, she places the therapeutic relationship at the center of change. She prioritizes partnership, making sure clients feel heard while collaboratively selecting tools such as mindfulness or distress-tolerance skills when they are helpful.

As a lesbian with three grown children and a wife who is African American, Peggy views her life as a continuing opportunity to practice respect, forgiveness, open-hearted curiosity, and humility around diversity. She welcomes people who are ready to increase transparency and let go of what no longer serves them, bringing fresh eyes and a deep commitment to each person’s strengths and growth.

Therapeutic Methods and Online Care

Client-centered therapy focuses on building a respectful, nonjudgmental alliance in which the client guides the pace and direction of work while the therapist offers empathy and support. This approach is especially helpful when someone needs validation, clearer self-understanding, or a safe space to explore identity and relationships.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) identifies and shifts unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. It is practical and skills-oriented, often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and mood-related concerns to create measurable changes in daily functioning.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) combines mindfulness with skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. It is useful for intense emotional reactions, relationship difficulties, and patterns of impulsive behavior.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Peggy works with each person to explore which methods align with their goals, preferences, and unique situation, and she integrates techniques as needed so therapy remains personally relevant.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, maintain continuity when schedules or locations change, and choose the communication style that feels most comfortable. Licensed professionals can deliver these approaches effectively using remote formats while tailoring sessions to each person’s needs.