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LCSW

Stuart Riskin, LCSW

  • Experience28 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Addictions, and LGBT
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Stuart

Stuart Riskin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 28 years of experience who works with adults facing stress, anxiety, addiction, relationship concerns, mood disorders, and trauma.

Background and approach

He frames the work around clients' strengths and collaborates with each person to set practical goals, drawing on a long career that began outside of mental health and evolved through extensive practice in both public and personal settings. His style is supportive, respectful, and grounded in the belief that people are the experts on their own lives.

Stuart combines techniques from Internal Family Systems, client-centered approaches, and cognitive behavioral strategies to help clients navigate grief, parenting challenges, intimacy and communication problems, compassion fatigue, ADHD, and other complex life transitions. He also addresses issues related to adoption and foster care, attachment and abandonment, substance use, and codependency.

Based in California and licensed as CA LCSW 22300, Stuart accepts international clients and offers multiple session formats to fit different schedules and preferences. He emphasizes a collaborative process in which clients choose change and the therapist supports sustainable growth and improved coping across personal and professional domains.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Stuart integrates Internal Family Systems, client-centered therapy, and cognitive behavioral techniques to address emotional pain and life challenges. Internal Family Systems helps clients learn to relate to different internal parts with curiosity and compassion, which can be especially useful for trauma, grief, and patterns of self-criticism. The client-centered approach creates a respectful, nonjudgmental space where the therapist follows the client's lead and supports personal insight and self-directed growth. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers concrete tools for identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and developing practical coping strategies for anxiety, mood issues, and addiction.

Finding the right approach is part of the work, and Stuart treats that as a collaborative process. He will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels most useful, adjusting methods over time so treatment aligns with each client's needs and changing circumstances.

Online therapy with Stuart is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, providing flexibility for varied schedules and time zones. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care during life transitions, travel, or busy routines while allowing clients to access licensed professionals from their preferred location.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does Stuart address?
He works with a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, depression, trauma and grief, parenting challenges, and career-related stress.
What is his general therapeutic style?
His approach is supportive, respectful, and strength-based, emphasizing collaboration and treating clients as partners in the change process.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He brings 28 years of experience to his practice, with a background that includes work in both public and personal sectors and a nontraditional career path prior to social work.
What credentials and location apply to his practice?
He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in California with the license CA LCSW 22300.
Can people who live outside the U.S. work with him?
Yes, he accepts international clients and provides services to people located outside the United States.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or through text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
Cost varies with client location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesDepression

Also works with

Family conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

28+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English