While I can’t change difficult situations of the past, We can work together to better understand and resolve challenges in your life.
Call or make an appointment with Stephanie Garris
Meet Stephanie Garris, LCSW
I’m Stephanie Garris, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in OCD, anxiety, and CPTSD treatment. My approach is straightforward, no-nonsense, and rooted in real, practical strategies that actually help. Therapy with me isn’t about vague affirmations—it’s about learning how to break free from the cycles that keep you stuck.
With years of experience guiding teens and adults through the messy, frustrating, and often exhausting process of healing, I know how overwhelming it can feel. But you don’t have to navigate it alone. Whether we’re tackling intrusive thoughts, compulsions, or the weight of past trauma, I’ll meet you where you are and help you move forward—without judgment, without fluff, and with a plan that works.
Let’s get to work.
Career
I’m a psychotherapist who has been working in the mental health field since 2017. I began my private practice journey in 2020 under the supervision of Donald Goodman, an experienced therapist with a well-established local practice.
Starting my career in the midst of a global pandemic meant working with individuals facing severe mental health challenges. Through this experience, I developed the ability to work with diverse populations and a wide range of symptoms. More importantly, I came to understand that beneath every struggle is a person in need of support, a shift in perspective, and the right tools to navigate their challenges. I connect with that deeply—because at the core of my work is the belief that no one should have to figure it out alone.
Focus
My focus is on true recovery—going beyond symptom management to uncover and heal the root causes of distress. For many, these struggles are deeply tied to early life experiences and unmet needs—neglect, parents with untreated mental health issues, or mental, verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. In an effort to cope, we often learn to suppress these painful realities. But avoiding them doesn’t erase them—it leads to emotional numbness, repeating destructive patterns, struggling in relationships, substance misuse, and other forms of self-sabotage.
The way forward isn’t through avoidance—it’s through grieving, processing, and ultimately breaking free from cycles that no longer serve you.
I have a particular focus on working with OCD and anxiety, helping clients untangle the ways these conditions interact with trauma. Understanding how OCD operates—especially when combined with past wounds—is key to real, lasting recovery.
Approach
My approach is centered on building a trusting therapeutic relationship in a nonjudgmental, supportive space. Therapy isn’t about fitting into a rigid formula—it’s about you. You set the goals; I help you get there.
Together, we work through confidence issues, build practical skills, and cultivate patience and self-forgiveness. Change doesn’t have to be overwhelming; sometimes, the most meaningful progress comes from small, consistent steps. Whether you’re feeling stuck, uncertain, or afraid of what’s next, I help you navigate those challenges with clarity and self-compassion.
Much of my work revolves around helping people figure out who they are and what they truly want—not just what they’ve been told they should want. I guide clients in facing fears, overcoming self-doubt, and becoming braver in their lives. Emotional strength isn’t something you’re either born with or without—it’s something you can build. And that’s exactly what we do.
Therapy is a space for exploration, healing, and growth. No pressure, no judgment—just real conversations, real work, and real change at your pace.
