Stephanie McCarty

Most of my experience as a psychotherapist has been in treating individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, grief, loss, trauma, and other significant life changes (workplace stress, chronic illness, aging). I have worked in health and human services in different parts of California for the past 30 years. I have been a telehealth psychotherapist since 2021. Just before the pandemic I was working with people who needed support to find housing and provide for their basic needs, as well as people needing substance use treatment. As a social worker I have also worked with people experiencing trauma, chronic health conditions/disabilities, age-related circumstances and grief/loss. (Also, I have a good understanding of social services and mental health resources in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially Contra Costa County.

My counseling style is warm and casual yet direct; typically combining Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral (DBT), mindfulness approaches and a solution/action-oriented style. Our interactions and your treatment plan will be tailored to meet your unique needs.

I am an open-minded and client-centered clinical social worker, who is respectful and deeply empathetic but also uses humor appropriately at times because I’m a human being. I use treatment modalities/therapeutic techniques to help my clients explore/reflect on who they are (values, strengths, challenges), where they’ve been (trauma, loss, milestones, achievements), what changes they want/need to make (self-care, relationships, school/work, spirituality) and what they need to do to accomplish their goals (intention, motivation, attitude, self-worth).

In this safe space, and through this therapeutic process, we will witness your emotional growth and development of effective coping skills. Your self-awareness will improve and you will begin to experience positive changes in real time.

In your first session I will aim to create a comfortable but safe space where we will begin to learn about each other. We will do our best to get through as much of the intake process as we can however what is most important is you begin to feel some confidence in me as a professional and that I learn enough about your needs in order to begin developing some ideas as to which therapy modalities will best suit you. I will present my ideas to you and provide you with the information you need to decide if you would like to proceed.