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LCSW

Stephanie Howard, LCSW

  • Experience17 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Relationship, and Trauma and abuse
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Stephanie

Stephanie Howard is a licensed clinical social worker who brings 17 years of experience to her therapeutic work in California. She draws on Internal Family Systems alongside Cognitive Behavioral and Psychodynamic ideas to help clients explore inner parts, shift unhelpful thoughts, and understand deeper relational patterns.

Background and approach

Her training at the University of California, Berkeley and years in inpatient and outpatient mental health settings, schools, and community clinics inform a flexible, strengths-based way of working. Her practice focuses on concerns such as stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, relationship difficulties, parenting challenges, grief, depression, addictions, and career or workplace issues.

Stephanie also addresses ADHD, bipolar symptoms, compassion fatigue, and life transitions, and gives attention to adoption and foster care, family of origin issues, multicultural concerns, and perinatal mood struggles. She adapts treatment plans to each person and emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion while supporting clients toward practical, personally meaningful goals.

Clients will find a collaborative clinician who matches therapeutic tools to individual needs and who values empowerment as part of the healing process. Stephanie frames therapy as a courageous step and offers guidance aimed at greater resilience, self-understanding, and improved daily functioning.

Integrative Approaches for Online Healing

Stephanie blends Internal Family Systems with Client-Centered and Cognitive Behavioral approaches to support online clients. Internal Family Systems invites exploration of internal parts and their roles, helping people reduce internal conflict and respond differently to old patterns. Client-Centered work focuses on empathy and collaboration, giving clients space to set the pace and goals of therapy while feeling heard. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers practical tools to identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can be especially useful for anxiety, stress, and everyday coping.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Stephanie works with each person to consider their needs, values, and goals, and adjusts methods over time so the work fits the client rather than expecting the client to fit a single technique.

Online therapy with Stephanie is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care more flexible and accessible. These formats allow scheduling that accommodates work, family, and geographic constraints while maintaining continuity of care, and they support different ways of communicating depending on what feels most comfortable for the client.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Stephanie address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, depression, addictions, grief, self-esteem, career and workplace issues, bipolar concerns, ADHD, and related life changes and multicultural topics.
What is Stephanie's general therapeutic style?
Her practice is client-centered and strengths-based, combining Internal Family Systems with Cognitive Behavioral and Psychodynamic techniques to help clients explore inner parts, thought patterns, and relational dynamics.
How long has she been practicing?
Stephanie has 17 years of professional experience working in a range of settings including inpatient and outpatient mental health, schools, and community clinics.
What are her credentials and where is she located?
She is a licensed clinical social worker, CA LCSW 27501, and practices in California.
Does she work with clients who speak other languages or live abroad?
She provides services in English and is not currently accepting international clients.
In what session formats does she offer therapy?
Sessions are available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; therapy uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseParenting issuesDepression

Also works with

AddictionsFamily conflictsGriefSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsIsolation / lonelinessMulticultural concernsPostpartum depressionPregnancy and childbirthSelf-loveWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Psychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

17+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English