Emily Hakkinen

Emily Hakkinen is a Vermont LICSW - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker - with five years of professional experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, grief, low self-esteem, and motivation challenges. Emily also supports those navigating life changes, career questions, addiction concerns, and issues related to ADHD and compassion fatigue.

Her sessions are straightforward and person-focused. She listens to what is most pressing and works with each person to set clear goals. Expect conversations that look at what is getting in the way now and small steps that can be tried between meetings.

Emily draws on client-centered work and mindfulness to slow down reactivity and increase awareness. She uses motivational interviewing to help with change and decision-making, and solution-focused ideas to notice what already helps and build on it. Narrative techniques may also be used to reframe difficult experiences and reduce their hold on daily life.

She pays attention to practical concerns like managing grief, relationship patterns, caregiver stress, and questions about life purpose. Sessions often include concrete strategies for everyday problems, such as breaking tasks into manageable pieces or experimenting with new habits.

People who reach out can expect a direct, respectful approach that focuses on the issues they bring. Emily asks about goals, tries options that fit a person’s routine, and adjusts the plan as needs change.

Therapeutic approaches and working online

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following what matters to the person. It helps when someone needs space to name feelings and decide what to try next. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and manage stress in daily moments. Motivational interviewing is a collaborative way to talk about change that uncovers personal reasons for taking action and helps resolve mixed feelings.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Emily will talk with each person about goals and preferences, try approaches that seem to fit, and adjust as needed. The plan is collaborative rather than fixed, and methods are chosen to match what the person wants to work on.

The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm which online options are currently offered before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove the need to travel to appointments. Therapists and licensed professionals often combine talking, brief practices, and simple between-session tasks so therapy fits into everyday life without requiring long, disruptive commitments.