Stephanie Dobbs

Stephanie Dobbs is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 25 years of experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns. Stephanie also supports those coping with drug and alcohol addiction and LGBT issues, and she has a particular interest in women's issues and midlife transitions.

She works from the view that clients are the experts on their own lives. Sessions center on building on existing strengths and practical steps that fit each person's day-to-day life. Stephanie aims to make the first steps toward change feel achievable rather than overwhelming.

Her approach draws on several evidence-based methods. She uses client-centered techniques to create a respectful, listening-based space. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people identify patterns of thought and behavior and try small experiments to test new ways of coping.

Motivational Interviewing supports people who want to change addictive behaviors or make difficult life adjustments. Solution-Focused Therapy helps set short-term goals and map clear next steps for real problems. Trauma-Focused Therapy is used when past events are affecting current mood or relationships.

Stephanie practices in Washington and brings long-term clinical experience to each session. She encourages people to take a careful, step-by-step approach and to set goals that matter to them.

How Stephanie’s therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy is about listening carefully and following the client's lead. In an online setting this means sessions focus on what matters most to the person and on practical next steps they want to try. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replace them with small tests and new routines that change mood and functioning.

These approaches pair well with Motivational Interviewing when people are facing addictive behaviors or big life changes. Motivational Interviewing uses open questions and reflective listening to build motivation and clarify what someone truly wants to do next. The therapist will discuss which methods feel right and adapt them based on the client's goals and preferences in a collaborative way.

Confirm current session options before booking, as formats are not specified here. Many people find online sessions help fit therapy into work, caregiving, or busy schedules. Remote work can make it easier to keep appointments, shorten check-ins, and try practical homework between meetings. The therapist will work with each person to choose pacing and techniques that match their everyday life.