Vicki Alexander Hess, LCSW

Vicki Alexander Hess is a California licensed clinical social worker who focuses on helping people face stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship or identity concerns. She speaks plainly and works to create a respectful, compassionate space. She tailors conversations and plans to each person's needs. Taking the first step can feel hard, and she acknowledges that courage.

Vicki uses practical, evidence-informed tools in sessions. She often draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. Mindfulness techniques are offered to build awareness and soothe intense emotions. She also uses motivational interviewing to support people who want to change habits or make big life shifts.

Across five years of practice she has worked with people coping with trauma and abuse, addiction, grief, compassion fatigue, and career strain. She also addresses concerns tied to family of origin, adoption and foster care, body image, chronic illness, and gender dysphoria. Vicki supports clients navigating intimacy problems, sleep disruption, anger, and self-esteem struggles.

Sessions are shaped around each person's goals and pace. Vicki emphasizes clear steps you can try between meetings and checks in on what's helping. She aims for straightforward strategies that fit daily life rather than complex jargon.

She holds a California LCSW, which is Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Vicki offers therapy in English and practices from California. If you want a therapist who combines practical methods with a compassionate approach, she may be a good fit.

Approaches you can use in online sessions

Vicki commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify thoughts that increase distress and test new, more helpful behaviors. CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and mood management. She also offers Mindfulness Therapy to build present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity, which can help with stress, trauma symptoms, and emotional regulation.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Vicki treats the choice of method as collaborative and will help you decide which techniques fit your goals and daily life. She checks in and adjusts the plan as you learn what helps most.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is good for face-to-face conversation and guided exercises, phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for a quick check-in, and chat or messaging works well for brief updates, ongoing support, or when typing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and to try different ways of connecting as needs change.