Stacy Jo Poffenbarger, LMHC

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Stacy often uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and try different, more useful thoughts and behaviors; this approach is practical and works well when applied between sessions. Dialectical behavior therapy provides skills for managing intense emotions, improving distress tolerance, and strengthening interpersonal effectiveness, which can be practiced during and after meetings. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a trauma-focused method that helps people process distressing memories and reduce their hold on daily life. Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences, then choose or combine methods that seem most likely to help. That collaborative process can change as progress is made and priorities shift. Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let the conversation feel more like an in-person visit, while phone sessions work well when internet bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat or text-based messaging can provide brief check-ins, skill practice, and reinforcement between sessions. These options make it easier to fit care into busy schedules and keep momentum between meetings.