Anita Aasen, LCSW, LICSW

Anita Aasen is a licensed clinical social worker with 30 years of experience. She practices from New York and brings a calm, straightforward approach to helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, and life changes. Anita emphasizes practical skills people can use between sessions to feel steadier day to day.

She draws on cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thought and behavior patterns and try new responses. Client-centered work is part of her style, so sessions focus on the person's goals and pace. Anita also uses elements of dialectical behavior therapy for emotion regulation and the Gottman Method when relationship issues are present.

Anita has long experience supporting people with addiction and recovery, and she knows how relapse risks and coping skills interact. She also helps with parenting strain, career transitions, sleep problems, and the emotional impact of serious illness such as cancer. Seasonal mood shifts and postpartum depression are among the focused areas she addresses.

Her work often combines brief, solution-focused conversations with longer process work when needed. Anita looks for small, practical steps that build confidence and reduce overwhelm. She uses plain language, humor when appropriate, and an emphasis on recognizing strengths alongside challenges.

Sessions can include coaching-style tools, behavior experiments from CBT, and DBT techniques for managing strong emotions. Anita welcomes clients who want clear strategies, a collaborative plan, and steady support while they work toward change.

How Anita’s approaches translate to online therapy

Anita commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and habits; this approach breaks problems into small, testable steps and works well for anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. She also uses client-centered methods that prioritize the person’s goals and pacing, creating space to talk things through and decide practical next steps together. When strong emotions or crisis moments arise, she draws on dialectical behavior therapy techniques to teach skills for managing intense feelings and improving distress tolerance.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Anita will talk with the person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked in the past, then suggest whether CBT, client-centered work, DBT skills, or a mix of these fits best. She adjusts plans as progress is made and as needs change.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and skill coaching; phone sessions can be easier when someone needs a lower-bandwidth option or a quick check-in. Live chat and messaging work well for brief check-ins, homework prompts, or ongoing coaching between sessions. These options make it feasible to fit therapy into busy schedules and different life demands.