Sharlene Duplessis, LCSW

Sharlene Duplessis is a licensed clinical social worker with 16 years of experience helping people manage trauma, anxiety, mood concerns, and life transitions. She uses practical, skills-based approaches so clients leave sessions with tools they can use right away. Sharlene practices from Connecticut and works in English.

Her main methods include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and EMDR among other approaches. She focuses on trauma and abuse, depression and bipolar mood concerns, anxiety and stress, and challenges with self-esteem. She also supports people navigating parenting stress, relationship problems, and career changes.

In sessions she helps people identify patterns of thinking and behavior that get in the way. She teaches clear strategies for managing intense emotions, improving communication, and coping with life changes. Sessions often center on small, measurable steps that build confidence over time.

Sharlene emphasizes meeting people where they are and moving at a pace that feels manageable. She encourages clients to notice progress, even in small gains, and to build on those steps. Her approach is practical and focused on day-to-day improvements.

Before practicing privately she built experience in outpatient settings working with people affected by trauma. She holds a Connecticut licensed clinical social worker credential, LCSW, and draws on her years of practice to tailor treatment to each person’s needs.

How practical therapies translate to online work

Sharlene commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in her online practice. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life experiments, which helps with anxiety, depression, and everyday stress. DBT teaches clear emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills to manage strong feelings and reduce impulsive reactions.

She also integrates Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, when trauma processing is appropriate. EMDR aims to reduce the intensity of traumatic memories through structured sets of processing, which can help people feel less triggered by past events.

Choosing the right approach is collaborative. The therapist and client review goals, preferences, and what has worked before, then try methods that fit the person’s needs. Adjustments are made along the way to find the best match.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video allows face-to-face conversation and guided exercises. Phone sessions can fit into a work break or require less bandwidth. Live chat and messaging support quick check-ins, homework review, or ongoing coaching between sessions. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while fitting into a busy life.