Stella Holmes-Hughes, LCSW

Stella Holmes-Hughes is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. She offers steady, practical support and focuses on clear goals that make day-to-day life easier. Her style is direct but warm, aimed at helping people feel understood and able to act on change.

With 27 years of experience, Stella draws on a mix of approaches to match each person's needs. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment-based ideas, and skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy when helpful. Sessions are shaped around what matters most to the client rather than a single method.

Stella often works with people facing addiction, intimacy-related concerns, anger, and self-esteem struggles. She also helps those coping with grief and end-of-life questions, HIV/AIDS related stress, gender dysphoria, and effects of sexual assault or abuse. Young adult issues, multicultural concerns, and obsessive or compulsive behavior are other areas she addresses.

Her approach centers on respectful, sensitive conversation and practical tools. Clients can expect to talk through patterns that cause distress, try small experiments between sessions, and build skills for managing strong emotions. Stella adapts the pace and focus to each person's goals.

Stella practices in New York and conducts sessions in English. She encourages people to take the first step and complete a short intake to begin matching to a plan that fits their life and needs.

How therapy approaches work online

CBT helps people spot unhelpful thoughts and test them against everyday reality. It uses short exercises and behavior changes to lower anxiety and improve mood. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on what matters most to you and teaches ways to act toward those values even when emotions are strong. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns in close relationships and how early bonds shape current reactions; it can help with intimacy challenges and trust issues.

Choosing the right approach is part of therapy. Stella will work collaboratively to figure out which methods fit your goals and preferences. Together you can try different techniques and adjust the plan based on what helps most in real life.

Online sessions include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for a fuller conversation and practice of skills, phone works well when bandwidth is limited or you prefer not to be on camera, live chat can help with shorter check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to schedule appointments around work, caregiving, or school commitments and to keep continuity when travel or relocation occurs.