Benia Thomas , LCSW

Benia Thomas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who earned her Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University in New York with an emphasis in children, youth, and families, and completed her bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Lehman College in the Bronx. She began her clinical career working with children and families in the New York City foster care system and later provided counseling and group facilitation for incarcerated women with severe mental illness.

In addition to direct practice, Benia has served as a clinical supervisor, mentoring and overseeing master-level social workers. Her clinical interests include stress, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, family and relationship concerns, personal growth, and LGBTQ-related issues. She has extensive experience working with adolescents and young adults and brings over ten years of professional involvement with the LGBTQ community as a lesbian clinician, offering perspective on challenges commonly faced within that community.

Benia describes therapy as a collaborative process that depends on honest, nonjudgmental care. She draws from multiple therapeutic methods to tailor treatment to each person’s needs, combining warmth, openness, encouragement, and directness. As an active therapist, she integrates experience, education, creativity, and a sense of humor with a practical, down-to-earth approach. Benia holds the LCSW credential - Licensed Clinical Social Worker - indicating qualification to provide clinical social work services. She works with clients to clarify goals and build lasting changes suited to each individual’s life.

Therapeutic Approaches and Accessible Online Care

Benia integrates client-centered therapy into her work, focusing on creating a respectful, empathetic space where clients guide the pace and goals of treatment; this approach helps with relationship concerns, self-esteem, and life transitions. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - CBT - which helps individuals identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. Mindfulness therapy is another tool she employs, teaching present-moment awareness and relaxation skills that can support coping with trauma, grief, and ongoing emotional distress.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Benia collaborates with each person to determine which methods align with their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adapts interventions as progress unfolds. This collaborative stance helps clients feel involved in shaping treatment.

Online therapy with Benia can take place via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules, caregiving responsibilities, and geographical constraints. Working remotely can make it easier to maintain continuity of care and fit therapy into daily life while still receiving support from licensed professionals and therapists trained to work in virtual formats.