Stephanie BighamLCSW

Stephanie Bigham is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who brings 20 years of experience to her practice. She offers a calm, practical style and encourages people to keep trying new options when one plan doesn’t fit. Stephanie speaks plainly and asks clients to take an active role in their progress.

She earned a Master of Social Work from Florida International University after completing a Bachelor of Arts in sociology with minors in psychology and education at the University of Florida. Her career includes work in a mental health clinic for people with developmental delays, a hospital NICU, a respite program, private practice, and a classroom setting. She has also been a stay-at-home parent and a K-5 substitute teacher, which broadened her perspective on everyday family life.

Stephanie uses mindfulness and acceptance-based cognitive behavioral techniques to help people notice thoughts and feelings without harsh judgment. She often combines that work with solution-focused and narrative ideas, along with practical skills from dialectical behavior therapy. Sessions include collaboration and active participation, and she commonly suggests exercises to try between meetings.

Her main areas of focus include stress and anxiety, parenting and family concerns, relationships and divorce, depression and grief, and career or coaching issues. She also supports people navigating blended family situations, adoption and foster care questions, caregiver stress, and mood disorders.

Stephanie practices in North Carolina and conducts work in English. She aims to guide people toward greater self-awareness, resilience, and useful everyday coping strategies.

How her approaches work in online therapy

Stephanie commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and feelings, choose valued directions, and take small actions toward what matters. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and trying practical experiments to change how situations feel and behave.

Choosing the best approach is a collaborative process. She will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they try methods and adjust the plan so it fits the person’s life and needs.

If you are considering online work, confirm the current session options before booking. Many people find online sessions useful for fitting therapy into a busy schedule, shortening travel time, or making it easier to check in during a break at work. Online sessions can also make it simple to practice mindfulness exercises and homework between meetings. The therapist will discuss which formats might suit your routine when you start.