- Client-centered care
- Practical strategies
- LGBTQ-aware support
About Benia
Benia Thomas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in New Jersey. She brings 12 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship concerns. Benia also supports people with LGBTQ issues and helps those facing parenting or career stresses.
She trained at Fordham University, earning a Master of Social Work with an emphasis on children, youth, and families, after completing a bachelor’s degree in social work at Lehman College. Early in her career she worked in the New York City foster care system and later supported incarcerated women with severe mental illness through groups and individual counseling. She has also provided clinical supervision for master-level social workers.
Benia uses a mix of approaches rather than one fixed method. She draws from Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy to match each person’s needs. Her style is warm, open, encouraging, and direct, and she aims to be an active partner in the work.
She often helps people facing family and relationship problems, attachment or abandonment concerns, body image and self-esteem struggles, and the effects of trauma or domestic violence. Benia also supports those dealing with caregiving stress, compassion fatigue, and the challenges of blended family situations.
In sessions she focuses on clear goals and practical steps. She spends time understanding what is happening and why, then works with each person to build changes that can last. Her background with the LGBTQ community informs her approach to identity and relationship issues.
Approaches and online therapy that fit your work and life
Benia uses Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in straightforward, practical ways. Client-Centered Therapy means conversations focus on what matters most to the person, with the therapist listening and reflecting to help clarify goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect and uses simple strategies to change unhelpful patterns.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. She will collaborate with each person to decide which methods to try based on needs, goals, and personal preferences. This is a team effort where plans are adjusted as progress is made.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions around work and family life, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It also lets people continue care when life changes make in-person visits harder. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and mindfulness practices to virtual sessions so progress can continue between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Credentials
New York, New Jersey
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and family issues, LGBTQ matters, trauma and abuse, parenting, career stress, and related areas such as attachment, codependency, and body image.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her approach is warm, open, encouraging, and direct. She mixes Client-Centered, Cognitive Behavioral, Mindfulness, and Solution-Focused methods to fit each person's goals.
What background does she bring to sessions?
She has 12 years of clinical experience working with children, youth, families, and adults, including work in foster care, counseling incarcerated women, and supervising master-level social workers.
Where is she licensed and based?
She holds LCSW credentials in New York and New Jersey and is based in New Jersey.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Are international clients accepted?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.