Phyllis Jeannestal, LCSW

Phyllis Jeannestal is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Florida who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, and major life changes. She focuses on practical, down-to-earth strategies so a parent or caregiver can use tools between sessions. Phyllis speaks plainly and centers each conversation on what the person wants to change next.

She uses cognitive behavioral ideas to identify unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. She also draws on client-centered and solution-focused methods to help people set concrete goals and build on their strengths. Trauma-focused approaches inform her care when past events are part of the problem.

Past roles include supporting community healing after the Parkland shooting and working in hospice to assist people navigating grief and loss. That mix of community and clinical work shaped her attention to practical wellness activities, from creative expression to movement and peer support.

Phyllis aims to help people develop a personal toolbox of coping skills. Sessions emphasize clear steps, simple exercises, and gradual change rather than long lectures. She encourages self-determination and works collaboratively to find what fits each person’s life.

Her clinical lens centers safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment. With nine years of experience, she brings steady care for concerns such as relationship stress, parenting strain, workplace issues, depression, bipolar mood concerns, and compassion fatigue.

Approaches you can use online

Phyllis commonly draws on cognitive behavioral therapy and trauma-focused methods during online sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps identify unhelpful thought patterns and tries practical behavior changes to reduce anxiety, depression, or workplace stress. Trauma-focused therapy pays attention to how past events affect current reactions and uses pacing, grounding, and gradual processing to reduce distress.

She also uses client-centered and solution-focused elements to keep work goal oriented and person driven. Finding the right mix is a collaborative process - the therapist will discuss options, listen to the client's goals, and adapt methods so the plan fits the person's needs and preferences.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls are useful for in-depth work and face-to-face interaction. Phone sessions can be a good choice when bandwidth or camera use is difficult. Chat or text messaging suit shorter check-ins, brief coaching, or quick skill practice between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and different daily routines.