Dr. Shari Richardson, LCSW

Dr. Shari Richardson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 15 years of clinical experience. She practices in New York and focuses on practical strategies to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship or family concerns. She emphasizes a respectful, down-to-earth approach so people feel heard and can take small steps forward.

Her work centers on understanding how life events shape feelings and behavior. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alongside client-centered and solution-focused ideas to help people notice patterns and try new ways of responding. Sessions are collaborative and aimed at real-life changes rather than labels.

Dr. Richardson has particular experience with adoption and foster care issues, attachment concerns, blended family stress, and caregiving burden. She also helps with issues such as grief, addictions, intimacy challenges, career crossroads, and compassion fatigue. Her background includes supporting people through both acute and long-running stressors.

She encourages practical steps that fit each person’s rhythms and limits. That might mean experimenting with thought and behavior changes, setting small goals, or working through painful memories at a pace that feels manageable. She frames vulnerability as a strength in moving toward better functioning.

People who prefer a collaborative, problem-solving style are likely to find her approach useful. Dr. Richardson aims to be a steady partner as clients work toward clearer priorities, healthier relationships, and improved daily coping.

Practical approaches for online therapy and coping

Dr. Richardson commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy when working online. CBT focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. Client-centered work emphasizes listening, validation, and helping clients set goals that feel meaningful to them.

She also uses Motivational Interviewing to help people clarify what they want to change and to build motivation for steps like reducing substance use or improving self-care. That approach is useful when someone feels stuck or uncertain about next steps. Choosing an approach is a team effort, and she works with each person to decide which methods match their needs and preferences.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and skill practice. Phone sessions can fit a short break or when lower bandwidth is needed. Live chat and text messaging make it easier to check in between sessions or to use brief coaching-style prompts. These options provide flexibility so therapy can fit around work, caregiving, or other daily demands.