Benia Thomas, LCSW

Benia Thomas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who brings an experienced, compassionate, and practical approach to therapy. She earned her Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University in New York with an emphasis on children, youth, and families, and completed her bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Lehman College in the Bronx. With 12 years of professional experience, Benia has worked across settings that include the New York City foster care system and programs serving incarcerated women with severe mental illness, where she led psychoeducation and empowerment groups and provided individual counseling.

She has also supervised master-level social workers, offering clinical guidance and mentorship. Benia’s practice addresses a broad range of concerns - stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and family issues, parenting, intimacy-related concerns, career challenges, and compassion fatigue among others. She has cultivated particular expertise with LGBTQ+ issues through more than ten years of professional work with that community and as a lesbian clinician who understands many of the relevant dynamics.

Benia views healing as a collaborative process and tailors care to each person rather than using a one-size-fits-all method. She combines warmth, directness, creativity, and a sense of humor with practical strategies so that changes are meaningful and sustainable. Her style is client-centered, intentional, and focused on clear treatment goals.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Benia Thomas draws on established, practical approaches to support clients in making meaningful change. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on creating a collaborative, respectful relationship in which the client’s perspectives and goals guide the work - it is especially useful for building self-understanding, easing emotional distress, and navigating relationship concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is skills-oriented and helps people identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors; it is often effective for anxiety, depression, stress, and coping with life changes. Mindfulness Therapy teaches present-moment awareness and gentle acceptance, offering tools to manage emotional reactivity and chronic worry.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Benia works collaboratively with each person to choose or blend methods that align with their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds. This collaborative stance helps ensure treatments feel relevant and manageable.

Online therapy with Benia can take place via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into a busy life or access support from home. These options provide flexibility in scheduling and communication style while allowing licensed professionals and therapists to deliver consistent, goal-focused care.