Scott Underwood
Seasoned LCSW focused on practical support
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Experience
- 23 years
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English
- Format
- Online sessions
About Scott
Scott Underwood is a licensed clinical social worker with 23 years of experience. He began his clinical work in the Army as a Behavioral Science Specialist in 1984 and later served in community mental health, psychiatric hospitals, and independent practice. He most recently worked with active duty Air Force personnel at Nellis and Creech Air Force Base.
He offers straightforward, practical care for people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and related concerns.
Background and approach
Scott prefers a down-to-earth approach in sessions. He emphasizes problem solving and anger management alongside therapy for mood and trauma-related issues. He believes counseling does not have to be heavy or intimidating and will often use humor to ease tension when appropriate.
New clients are encouraged to come with an idea of what they want from therapy. Scott can provide assessment, diagnosis, consultation, or simply serve as a listening presence depending on the person's goals. He is flexible about short-term work or longer-term growth and adjusts plans if goals change.
Scott has experience treating both people with serious conditions and highly functional individuals who have hit a rough patch. He brings practical recommendations and clear options rather than jargon. His background includes work in military settings, community systems, and hospitals, which shapes his pragmatic style.
Sessions are offered in English and he works with clients in California. Scott accepts international clients and offers multiple formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. He asks clients to share their goals early so sessions can focus on what matters most.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Scott uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. CBT is practical and goal-oriented, often useful for anxiety, depression, panic, and everyday stress.He also offers Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, which is a trauma-focused method that helps people process disturbing memories and reduce their emotional impact. EMDR can be appropriate for post-traumatic stress and other trauma-related symptoms.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. He will talk with each person about goals, symptoms, and preferences, and then recommend whether CBT, EMDR, trauma-focused therapy, or a mix might be most helpful. Decisions are made collaboratively and can change as needs evolve.
Online therapy here includes video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, reduce travel time, and support continuity of care when someone moves or travels. The different formats also allow for shorter check-ins or longer sessions depending on what the person needs.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.
EMDR
A structured protocol used with distressing memories, pairing recall with guided attention tasks. Some therapists adapt it for video sessions; whether that fits is worth asking about directly.
Trauma-Focused Therapy
Work that takes difficult past experience into account and moves at a pace you set, with attention to feeling steady before anything else. Being in your own space can make that easier for some people.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
Also works with
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 23 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
Next step
Talk to Scott
- Takes a few minutes
- Nothing to set up just to look
- Stop at any point