Stephanie Deana Va specializes in working with teenagers, focusing on overcoming academic challenges, such as chronic absenteeism, poor performance, and post-graduation planning. She also provides support in building essential life skills, such as resume writing, job applications, and time management, while addressing teen relationships, including dating, communication, and boundary setting. Her work centers on empowering teens to navigate their challenges and foster personal growth.

Stephanie’s therapeutic approach is collaborative, mindfulness-focused, and strengths-based. She aims to create a supportive and validating environment where clients feel heard and understood. She integrates techniques from expressive arts, play therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy to tailor her work to each client’s unique needs.

Stephanie holds a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Fresno State. Her experience includes internships supporting high school students with academic struggles, motivation, and college and career readiness. Stephanie’s background in education, including tutoring in reading, writing, and math, complements her social work expertise. She has also completed specialized training in suicide prevention, mandated reporting, sexual harassment prevention, and promoting healthy teen relationships.

Stephanie is inspired by the words of Mary Rose McGeady:
"There is no greater joy nor greater reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life."

Supervised By: Eliana Romero, MS, LMFT 115076