- Client-centered
- Practical strategies
- LGBTQ aware
About Benia
Benia Thomas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who centers therapy on the person in front of her. She uses a client-centered approach to build trust and create a warm, direct space where people can name what matters most. Benia draws on 12 years of experience to help clients move from feeling stuck toward clearer goals and practical next steps.
She trained at Fordham University, earning a Master of Social Work, and completed undergraduate studies in social work at Lehman College. Early work in the New York City foster care system informed her understanding of family systems and complex care needs. She later provided counseling for incarcerated women with severe mental illness and led psychoeducation and empowerment groups.
Benia has also supervised master-level social workers, offering clinical guidance and oversight. These roles shaped her collaborative, down-to-earth style and reinforced her focus on realistic, achievable change. She brings experience working with LGBTQ+ communities and identifies as a lesbian, which informs her awareness of issues common in that experience.
In sessions she combines elements from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, and solution-focused strategies. Her approach is adaptable - she listens first, then tailors methods to each person’s needs. Clients can expect an active therapist who is encouraging, practical, and sometimes uses humor to ease difficult conversations.
Benia practices in New Jersey and conducts therapy in English. She helps people work through stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and family issues, parenting concerns, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related struggles, and related life changes.
How client-centered work and focused methods translate online
Benia pairs client-centered therapy with cognitive behavioral and mindfulness ideas to guide online work. Client-centered therapy means the conversation begins with what matters to the person. The therapist listens, reflects, and helps the client set goals that feel right for them. Cognitive behavioral techniques look at patterns of thought and behavior and offer simple skill-based changes to try between sessions. Mindfulness practices teach grounding and present-moment awareness to reduce stress and reactivity.Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. Benia treats deciding which methods to use as a collaboration. She will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, then adapt techniques to match those needs over time.
If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session formats before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, cut travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Sessions can also accommodate quieter environments, reduced need for video, or flexible scheduling to match work or school commitments. Those practical benefits often help people maintain progress between visits.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Listed in
New York, New Jersey
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns can I bring to therapy?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, and relationship or family problems. Other focus areas include parenting, intimacy-related issues, self-esteem, career stress, and compassion fatigue.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her work emphasizes a client-centered approach that starts with listening and building trust. She blends cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, and solution-focused tools as needed.
How much experience does she have?
Benia has 12 years of clinical experience that includes work in foster care, counseling incarcerated women with severe mental illness, and supervising master-level social workers.
What credentials and where is she licensed?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with licenses in New York and New Jersey and maintains a practice based in New Jersey.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
International clients are not accepted at this time.
How does payment work and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.