About Vicki
Vicki Alexander Hess is a licensed clinical social worker in California who helps people manage stress and anxiety. She also supports those facing trauma, grief, addiction concerns, and challenges related to LGBT identity. Her work includes coaching for professional life and help with relationship and intimacy questions.
Vicki meets people where they are and creates straightforward plans together. She uses everyday language and practical steps so clients know what to expect in sessions.
Background and approach
Conversations are tailored to each person’s goals and circumstances rather than a one-size-fits-all program. Her approach blends skills-based methods and reflective practices. She draws on cognitive behavioral ideas to identify unhelpful thoughts and experiment with different behaviors.
Mindfulness techniques are used to develop calm and attention in stressful moments. Motivational interviewing helps when making changes feels hard or uncertain. Internal Family Systems offers a way to understand conflicting inner parts and bring more self-compassion.
Solution-focused techniques keep sessions aimed at clear, achievable next steps. Vicki has five years of professional experience as an LCSW in California. She emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion in her work.
The first session focuses on understanding current needs and planning practical next steps together.
How therapy approaches translate to online care
Vicki commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness methods in her practice. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and trying different behaviors to see what helps, which can reduce anxiety and improve daily functioning. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and increase calm during stressful moments.She also uses motivational interviewing to support changes that feel difficult. That approach helps people clarify their reasons for change and build motivation without pressure. Choosing the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process - she will talk with each person about goals and preferences and adjust methods as needed.
Online work is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to make therapy fit into real life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when that is useful, phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or messaging can be a brief check-in or ongoing support between longer sessions. These options provide flexibility for busy schedules and different communication styles, while keeping the focus on practical tools and progress.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- Adoption and foster care
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 5 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
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