Stefanie Summers, LCSW

Stefanie Summers is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with two decades of clinical experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, parenting strain, relationship concerns, and career questions. Stefanie also supports those dealing with abandonment, adoption and foster care issues, attachment concerns, and compassion fatigue.

Her style blends practical talk therapy with focused techniques aimed at changing thoughts and behaviors. Stefanie uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alongside attachment-focused work and trauma-focused methods when needed. Sessions tend to be straightforward, goal-oriented, and tuned to each person’s pace.

Stefanie’s background spans civilian and military clinical settings. She has worked with people affected by homelessness, severe mental health challenges, trauma from abuse, and members of the armed forces with combat-related stress. Her broad experience informs how she notices patterns and suggests concrete steps.

In addition to psychotherapy, Stefanie has explored energy healing practices as part of an eclectic approach. This can be offered alongside talk-based methods for people who are open to it. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Alaska at Fairbanks and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Denver.

Clients can expect a collaborative process that focuses on practical coping skills, clearer communication, and managing strong emotions. Stefanie draws on 20 years of clinical practice in North Carolina to help people find manageable steps forward.

Approaches for Online Healing and Growth

Stefanie commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. CBT is useful for managing anxiety, depression, stress, and everyday coping skills.

She also draws on Attachment-Based Therapy to look at how early relationships shape current patterns. This work helps people understand connection, build trust, and change repeated relationship dynamics.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will review concerns, goals, and preferences with the client and recommend methods that match their needs. Together they adjust pace and techniques as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people work face-to-face from different locations, while phone sessions require less bandwidth and can fit a break at work. Live chat and text-based messaging allow for brief check-ins, written reflections, and ongoing coaching between sessions. These options make it easier to keep continuity of care and to use the format that fits daily life.