- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Parenting and family dynamics
About Stephanie
Stephanie Southard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in New York with 26 years of experience. She works with adults on concerns such as anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and family issues, trauma, grief, parenting stress, and life changes. Sessions focus on practical steps clients can use day to day to manage thoughts, moods, and behaviors.
She uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside cognitive behavioral tools to help people name and respond to difficult emotions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and attachment-based ideas also shape her approach. Stephanie centers sessions on what each person wants to accomplish and uses role play and exercises when helpful.
Her background includes work with situations involving domestic violence, court systems, and community resources, and she is familiar with psychiatric diagnoses and medications. She draws on that experience when people need referrals or coordinated care. Stephanie lives on Long Island, New York, and brings over two decades of clinical practice to her work.
In sessions she helps people address practical problems like sleep, anger, and communication, and deeper patterns such as abandonment, family of origin issues, and codependency. She also supports people coping with chronic illness, blended family challenges, and caregiver stress. The focus is on manageable changes that reduce stress and improve daily functioning.
People who choose her can expect a direct, person-centered style that blends emotion-focused work with behavior-focused strategies. Her aim is to help clients clarify goals, try small experiments in life, and build better ways of relating to themselves and others.
How Emotion-Focused and ACT work in online sessions
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) focuses on emotions and the ways partners or individuals respond to them. It helps people identify hard-to-name feelings and practice new ways of relating when emotions run high. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors and gives concrete tools to change unhelpful patterns, useful for anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with the client to decide whether EFT, CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or attachment-based ideas best fit the goals and preferences. Plans are adjusted over time based on how the work is going and what the client notices.
The original biography indicates sessions can include live chat, phone, video, and text, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins by phone or text when appropriate, and remove the need to travel to an office. The therapist will discuss which formats make sense for the issues being addressed and for each person’s routine.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
26+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, grief, sleep problems, parenting strain, anger, career concerns, bipolar disorder, and ADHD, plus related topics such as abandonment, body image, and caregiver stress.
How would you describe her therapy style?
She combines Emotionally-Focused Therapy with CBT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment-based ideas, and client-centered practice. The style is person-centered and often includes exercises and role play.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 26 years of experience working as a social worker and therapist in clinical settings and community systems.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in New York and is based on Long Island, New York.
Which languages are supported and can international clients connect?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography lists live chat, phone, video, and text as offered formats; confirm current session options before booking.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.