Stephanie Petersen, LCSW, LMSW

Stephanie Petersen is a licensed social worker with 14 years of clinical experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, grief, relationship challenges, and major life transitions. She holds an LCSW, which is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and an LMSW, which is a Licensed Master Social Worker. Stephanie combines training and practical experience to help clients identify patterns, learn coping skills, and move toward their goals.

Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Social Work from Oakland University and a Master of Social Work from Wayne State University. Her clinical history includes roles in medical social work within a hospital setting and work in home health, experiences that inform a practical, person-centered approach. Since 2020 she has provided therapy via telehealth, adapting interventions to work effectively in remote formats.

Stephanie describes her style as eclectic with a specialization in cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques. She works collaboratively to explore past experiences and current thinking, teaching skills that clients can use between sessions. Areas of focus include grief and loss, adjusting to illness, family and relationship conflict, self-esteem, addiction, parenting and caregiving stress, as well as a wide range of mood and coping concerns. Outside of work she enjoys reading, traveling, movies, music, martial arts, gardening, and spending time with her French bulldogs, and she brings a warm, encouraging presence to the therapeutic relationship.

Evidence-Informed Approaches for Online Support

Stephanie Petersen commonly integrates cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based techniques into online sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors, making it useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and many day-to-day challenges. Mindfulness therapy helps people develop present-moment awareness and acceptance skills, which can reduce reactivity to difficult thoughts and emotions and support coping with chronic stress or adjustment difficulties.

She also draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which encourages values-driven action alongside acceptance of difficult experiences. ACT can help clients clarify what matters most to them and take meaningful steps even when emotions are uncomfortable. Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process - Stephanie works with each person to match methods to their goals, preferences, and life context rather than assuming a single technique will fit everyone.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity during life transitions, and access licensed professionals from different locations. Stephanie adapts interventions to work well in remote formats so clients can practice skills and make progress between sessions.