Stephanie Donley
Compassionate, practical support for life’s challenges
LMSW Michigan
- Experience
- 10 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Grief, Self esteem
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English
About Stephanie
Stephanie Donley is an LMSW who supports people coping with stress, anxiety, grief, self-esteem concerns, life transitions, compassion fatigue, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, trauma and abuse, eating and sleeping problems, parenting challenges, anger, career concerns, depression, coaching needs, and ADHD.
Background and approach
She also attends to a wide range of related topics including aging and geriatric issues, blended family dynamics, body image, cancer and survivorship, caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, communication and control issues, disaster-related coping, divorce and separation, fertility concerns, forgiveness, and other family problems.
Her style is warm, kind, and engaging, with an emphasis on client-centered, strengths-based work. She draws heavily from cognitive behavioral approaches alongside acceptance and commitment, dialectical behavior, mindfulness, and humanistic methods to help clients explore new ways of thinking and coping.
Stephanie aims to make sessions genuine and respectful while avoiding stigmatizing labels, and she describes her practice as LGBTQ+ affirming. With a decade of clinical experience in varied settings, she has supported people through bereavement, end-of-life situations, and cancer survivorship as well as day-to-day struggles.
Stephanie frames therapy as a collaborative journey that can reveal personal strengths, promote learning from challenges, and guide people toward greater fulfillment and resilience.
Evidence-Informed Approaches and Online Care
Stephanie draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify unhelpful thought and behavior patterns and develop practical strategies for reducing symptoms like anxiety, depression, and sleep disruption. She also integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to support clients in clarifying values, practicing acceptance of difficult emotions, and taking meaningful action despite discomfort. These approaches are commonly used for stress, grief, relationship concerns, and life transitions.Finding the best therapeutic approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to explore goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, combining strategies as needed rather than relying on a single method. That collaboration helps tailor sessions to current needs and evolving priorities.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules and varying comfort with communication styles. These options let people access therapy from home, fit sessions into work or caregiving routines, and stay connected when in-person visits are difficult. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and skills work to these formats so clients can practice between sessions and track progress over time.
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Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Licensed
Michigan
Languages
English