About Stefanie
Stefanie Fernandez offers calm, straightforward support for adults facing anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and major life changes. She meets people where they are and focuses on practical steps to ease daily stress and improve relationships. Stefanie holds the LCSW-R credential, and she draws on 25 years of clinical experience in New York to guide sessions.
She prefers individual therapy and helps clients set clear goals together. Sessions often focus on building self-awareness, increasing mindfulness, and strengthening emotional connection to values.
How Stefanie works
Stefanie adapts interventions based on what each person needs rather than following a single formula. Her practice includes work with people managing chronic health conditions, developmental or physical disabilities, and complex grief. She also addresses eating concerns, bipolar mood issues, caregiver stress, and the effects of trauma and abuse.
Communication and relationship problems are common topics in her work. Stefanie uses several approaches to support change, including acceptance-based strategies, cognitive tools to shift unhelpful thinking, and emotionally focused work to repair closeness. She explains techniques plainly and practices them collaboratively with clients.
In addition to therapy she mentors graduate social work students and supervises new social workers entering independent practice. That teaching role keeps her clinical skills fresh and grounded in everyday challenges. Her style is steady, practical, and focused on helping people take manageable steps forward.
Stefanie lists 10 ways of working on the entry:
What Stefanie works with
The areas below are the ones Stefanie selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Coaching
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW-R |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 25 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | New York |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Therapeutic approaches that translate well online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts without being ruled by them, and it focuses on living according to personal values. It is useful for anxiety, stress, and coping with life changes. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship where the therapist follows the client's lead and helps build self-awareness and confidence. It supports people working through grief, relationship concerns, and self-esteem issues. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets the thoughts and behaviors that maintain distress, teaching practical skills to manage mood, anxiety, and eating concerns.Finding the best approach is part of the work. Stefanie will discuss these options and decide together which strategies match the client's goals, preferences, and current challenges. That collaborative process may mix elements from different approaches to address symptoms and strengthen coping skills.
Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging provides flexibility for busy schedules and differing day-to-day needs. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation for skill practice and emotional work. Phone sessions can be useful when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging make it easier to fit brief check-ins or coaching-style support into a workday. These options help maintain continuity of care while accommodating real-life constraints.
Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
Explore online therapy optionsWe will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.
Common questions
What concerns does Stefanie commonly address?
What is her general therapy style?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
Which languages are sessions offered in?
What session formats are available?
How are fees and billing handled?
How do I begin working with her?
A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. Entries are not assessed or endorsed by this directory.
Other entries for stress, anxiety
Supportive LCSW helping people build strength and clarity
Practical, trauma-aware therapy for everyday life
Practical, relational therapy for life transitions