PuttingFamilyFirst

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SS Portrait of Stephanie Southard
Online therapist

Stephanie Southard

Experienced LCSW focused on families and parenting

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Credentials
LCSW
Experience
26 years
Licensed in
New York
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Stephanie

Stephanie Southard is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who uses practical, evidence-informed methods to help people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, and relationship challenges. She keeps sessions centered on each person’s goals and meets clients where they are. Conversations are straightforward and collaborative, with exercises and role play when helpful.

Stephanie aims to create an inviting space without judgment so clients can talk about what matters most. She favors Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help change unhelpful thoughts that shape behavior.

Background and approach

She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Attachment-Based approaches when they fit the issue. Those methods are used in plain terms - learning new skills, naming patterns, and practicing small changes between sessions. With 26 years of experience, Stephanie has worked across many settings and brings practical knowledge about psychiatric diagnoses, medications, and community resources.

She is comfortable discussing trauma, grief, parenting, family dynamics, and addiction-related concerns. Her background on Long Island, New York, informs a steady, experienced approach to common life stresses. Parents and caregivers will find a focus on family and parenting concerns when relevant.

She can help with communication problems, blended family issues, codependency, and coping with changes. Sessions include skill building, problem solving, and planning real steps to reduce conflict and improve daily life. Stephanie offers video, phone, live chat, and text options so therapy can fit into busy routines.

She works with clients to set clear goals and practical next steps toward better coping and more meaningful day-to-day living.

How Stephanie’s approaches work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters most and take small actions toward those values while accepting difficult thoughts and feelings. It is useful for stress, anxiety, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through practical exercises and homework. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and habit change. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns affect current connections and helps people build healthier ways of relating to family and partners.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Stephanie will talk with clients about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they adjust methods over time so the work fits the person and the family situation.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These formats make it easier to fit sessions into busy family schedules and to practice skills between meetings. They also allow ongoing contact and brief check-ins when that supports progress.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Looks at how early bonds shaped what you expect from closeness, and how that plays out now with a partner, a parent, or your own children.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and family issues, grief, trauma, parenting concerns, and related topics like communication problems and codependency.
How would she approach therapy with me?
Sessions are collaborative and goal-focused. She uses practical techniques such as CBT, role play, and exercises to change unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors.
What is her professional background?
She holds 26 years of experience in social work, working with individuals, groups, and families across varied settings and situations.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a licensed clinical social worker - NY LCSW 072535 - and practices from New York.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and she is able to work with international clients.
What formats are available for sessions?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How are fees handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to begin?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
26 years
Licensed
New York
Languages
English

Next step

Talk to Stephanie

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