Stacey Zimmerman, LCSW
About me
"Empathy is a relationship between equals." -Paolo Freire
Human behavior when placed in context yet has ripples; however, too has quiet the flow, beauty, and reason to it. The behaviors manifest sometimes merely for the chronic quest of hanging on to survive, staying attached to that one person, or perhaps adopting humor to make others smile. The science of human attachment has interested me since I could remember. Attaching to folks around us, to ourselves, and to the world at large, is a profound process / journey that shapes multiple entities of our internal world. My undergraduate careers were based on the neuro make-up of *how* we actually feel emotions and bodily sensations through the nervous systems. After receiving my master's degree, I served folks 5-years old to end-of-life in settings of community mental health, juvenile detention centers, therapeutic foster care, private practice, geriatric wellness-assisted living facilities, medical social worker, and insurance contracted therapist. Before becoming a licensed clinical social worker, I served 14-years in the U.S. Army in various entities to include active duty, reserves, and the national guard to which I then went to serve as a contractor with the U.S. Navy.
Often times, my therapy style has been described as integrative, analytical, yet simple. Discovering the "roots" or "drivers" of behavior(s) is the analysis part of which I really love doing. I wholeheartedly believe in an environment of free expression, essentially feeling like you are "vibing" with your therapist, so please be authentic. Giving you time and attention is my goal while effectively inviting you to think/do therapeutic considerations (I never offer advice, only "invitations"--due to mindful practice and you being the expert of your mind & body).
I am trained in various models, approaches, concepts and I try to utilize as many as I can in each session when appropriate to effectively assist where I can. That said, I am one that does use a "here and then" (present & past) approach to treatment to assist with managing symptoms. Further, I authentically try to balance sensitivity (handling folks with care) while then assisting with growth. Undergoing therapy is not always an easy ride, there might be sessions where uncomfortable thoughts/feelings arise. With such, please know that it is my job to never leave you in an "emotional uneasy" place. Your job is to communicate those thoughts/feelings to me--even if it's in one sentence when those uneasy times come so I know.
As posted by BetterHelp, this is not a mental health crisis service. This chat portal will not be monitored for crises. For mental health crises, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Please ask any question(s) you might have about this policy before starting services.
Professional experience
Additional areas of focus: LGBT, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Parenting issues, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Depression, Coping with life changes, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Abandonment, Attachment issues, Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Avoidant personality, Body image, Caregiver issues and stress, Codependency, Communication problems, Control issues, Dependent personality, Divorce and separation, Eating and food-related issues, Emptiness, Family of origin issues, Family problems, Forgiveness, Guilt and shame, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Isolation / loneliness, Jealousy, Life purpose, Men's issues, Midlife crisis, Veteran and Armed Forces Issues, Money and financial issues, Mood disorders, Narcissism, Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Personality disorders, Phobias, Post-traumatic stress, Self-harm, Self-love, Sex addiction, Sexual dysfunction, Social anxiety and phobia, Women's issues, Workplace issues, Young adult issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Existential Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Gottman Method, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Somatic Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
License information
KY LCSW 256077
UT LCSW 13805731-3501
ME LCSW LC22933
Reviews
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Stacey Zimmerman. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
After having gone through some financial issues that kept me from being able to continue my therapy, basically just after I'd begun - a year-and-a-half later, Stacey was so responsive (on a weekend no less) and caring. Anyone would be lucky to have her.
Written on Oct 07, 2023 after therapy with Stacey for 1 year and 6 months
Stacey is a PHENOMENAL therapist. With her help I was able to get through a very low and dark time in my life. She helped me establish tools within myself to overcome emotions and take away the control my mind had over my body. It has been a problem majority of my life and now I am on a true path of recovering from past traumas. I am so glad we were brought together by BetterHelp. I will be forever grateful to Stacey.
Written on Nov 25, 2022 after therapy with Stacey for 4 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, family conflicts, self esteem, anger management, career difficulties, and coping with life changes
She is an amazing therapist who has helped me so far in my journey on healing my past childhood trauma and couldn't ask for a better therapist! I am very thankful that I tried therapy in my time of need and now I am slowly healing and turning into the person I've always wanted to be! Very understanding and has great advice and is so very kind.
Written on Oct 04, 2022 after therapy with Stacey for 5 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, lgbt, trauma and abuse, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, self esteem, career difficulties, and coping with life changes
I’ve completed a few appointments with Stacey and it’s been fantastic. I was apprehensive about starting therapy and she has made it so easy for me to talk and engage. I’ve realized things about me that I may not quite have understood and I would recommend her to anyone who asked.
Written on Aug 23, 2022 after therapy with Stacey for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, self esteem, and adhd
Excellent character, excellent provider
Written on May 17, 2022 after therapy with Stacey for 7 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, intimacy-related issues, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, self esteem, anger management, compassion fatigue, and adhd
Great personality
Written on May 03, 2022 after therapy with Stacey for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, intimacy-related issues, sleeping disorders, self esteem, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, and adhd