- Stress and anxiety
- Guilt and shame
- Evidence-based methods
About Dorenda
Dorenda Schmidt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, practicing in New York with ten years of experience. She works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, family conflict, trauma, and abuse. She also helps people carrying guilt and shame and those facing issues like abandonment or caregiving stress.
Clients can expect straightforward conversation about feelings and patterns. Dorenda listens for what keeps a problem going and helps people try new ways of responding. Sessions often focus on practical coping skills and clearer communication in relationships.
She works with people navigating divorce, blended family challenges, adoption and foster care concerns, and end-of-life or hospice related stress. Other areas she addresses include domestic violence aftermath, narcissistic relational patterns, and self-harm thoughts. Smoking and vaping cessation support is also part of her practice.
Dorenda draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques to address trauma, mood, and relationship issues. She assists clients in identifying unhelpful thinking, testing small behavioral changes, and building more reliable day-to-day routines. The work is collaborative and paced to what each person can manage.
Her style is direct and steady. She helps people sort through difficult feelings like guilt and shame without moralizing. New clients begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling an initial session to discuss goals and next steps.
How therapeutic approaches are used online
Evidence-based therapeutic techniques include methods that help people change unhelpful thinking and behavior. One approach focuses on identifying and testing thoughts that worsen anxiety or guilt, then practicing different responses in everyday situations. This can help with anxiety, depression, and self-critical thinking.Another common method emphasizes gradual exposure to difficult memories or situations in a paced way. That approach helps people reduce the intensity of trauma-related reactions and build confidence in handling triggers over time.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about what feels most useful and adjust methods as goals and needs become clearer. Decisions are made collaboratively based on symptoms, life demands, and what the person is willing to try.
Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow for shorter check-in meetings when needed, and remove travel time. They also let someone meet with a licensed professional from a familiar setting while still focusing on practical skills and problem solving.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she support?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family conflict, trauma and abuse, and concerns such as guilt and shame.
How does she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She talks through the feelings, identifies patterns that keep them alive, and practices small behavior changes to reduce their hold.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has ten years of experience as a clinician working with mood, trauma, and relationship issues.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in New York and practices there.
Are sessions offered in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with clients outside the United States?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are used?
Session formats are not specified here; please confirm current session options before booking.
How does the subscription and first session process work?
Costs vary by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Start by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.