About Emily
Emily Hakkinen is a licensed clinical social worker with five years of experience supporting people who feel overwhelmed by stress and anxiety. She helps with relationship strain, grief, low self-esteem, and motivation. Emily aims to make the first step into therapy feel manageable and respectful of each person’s pace.
Her approach centers on creating an open and nonjudgmental space. She listens closely to what matters most and reflects it back so people feel understood.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on practical steps and clearer thinking rather than long lectures or labels. She draws on client-centered techniques to follow each person’s lead and build on their strengths. Mindfulness practices are used to help reduce reactivity and bring attention into the present moment.
Motivational interviewing supports people working through ambivalence about change. Emily also uses narrative and solution-focused methods to help people reframe problems and set small, achievable goals. This mix is useful for everyday concerns like workplace stress, burnout, relationship conflict, or life transitions.
Emily practices in Vermont as a LICSW - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. She offers sessions in English and works with adults on a range of issues including trauma, addiction, ADHD, caregiving stress, and end-of-life concerns. The aim is steady progress through clear discussion and manageable steps.
Approaches for online stress and anxiety support
Emily uses client-centered work to follow each person’s priorities and build on strengths; this approach focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the client. Mindfulness therapy is offered to help reduce reactivity and ground attention in the present moment, which can be useful for anxiety and stress management. Motivational interviewing is used when someone feels stuck about making a change and needs help weighing options and building internal motivation.Choosing the right approach happens together. Emily will talk with the client about their goals, try techniques, and adjust methods based on what feels most helpful. That collaborative process helps tailor sessions to the person’s needs and preferences rather than imposing a single method.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, giving flexibility for different routines. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for deeper conversations. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit into a break at work. Live chat or texting can be useful for brief check-ins, homework follow-up, or when typing feels easier than speaking. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives while maintaining continuity of care.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 5 years
- Licensed
- Vermont
- Languages
- English
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