Stephanie HowardLCSW

Stephanie Howard is a licensed clinical social worker with 17 years of experience helping people navigate hard moments. She practices in California and focuses on practical support for stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, parenting concerns, and pregnancy and childbirth issues. Stephanie uses clear, respectful language and centers each person’s strengths during sessions.

Her background includes work in inpatient and outpatient mental health settings, schools, and community non-profits and clinics. She earned a master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Those varied roles helped her learn how to talk with people at different stages of life and need.

Stephanie draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Psychodynamic Therapy in her work. She pairs those approaches with a client-centered attitude, so sessions follow what matters most to the person in front of her. Conversations focus on concrete steps and on understanding patterns that get in the way.

When addressing parenting, trauma, or mood concerns she aims to create an atmosphere of respect and empathy. Plans are tailored to the individual’s goals and adjusted over time. Stephanie stresses collaboration and practical strategies to manage symptoms and daily demands.

Her experience also includes supporting people through grief, workplace stress, adoption and foster care questions, and postpartum depression. She balances short-term problem solving with deeper reflection to help people move toward clearer, more manageable days.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Stephanie blends Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in ways that work well for online sessions. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s experience and priorities, so online conversations focus on what matters most and adapt to each visit. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers hands-on tools to change unhelpful thoughts and habits, which can be practiced between sessions and reviewed together online.

Finding the right approach is a shared process. The therapist will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That collaborative plan can change over time as progress and obstacles become clear.

Confirm current session options before booking, since specific formats are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, shorten travel time, and allow brief check-ins when needed. It also makes it simpler to continue support around pregnancy, postpartum challenges, or when juggling caregiving and work commitments.