About Margaret Pappas

I spent the first half of my life on the East Coast in New Jersey and the second half on the West Coast. My journey to California wasn’t carefully planned—it came from a simple, unexpected conversation.

One day, while working as a high school librarian/ media specialist, a colleague walked up to me and said,
“Margaret, you should be a marriage and family therapist! I’m pursuing a master’s degree in California, and you should do the program too!”

The idea took me by surprise, but something about it resonated. And so—California, here I come!

At the time, I didn’t realize that becoming a therapist meant first doing my own inner work. It wasn’t just about learning techniques—it was about understanding myself. I read every book I could find, took countless classes, and worked with a variety of therapists.

But as I moved from one therapist to another, I kept retelling the same story—my family’s alcoholic system—again and again. Each time, I reopened old wounds without finding real solutions. The cycle felt endless.

Then, after two years of therapy, something clicked.

“There must be a better way!”

That realization changed everything. It wasn’t just about revisiting the past—it was about finding a way forward.