- Guilt and shame focus
- Mindfulness practices
- Solution-focused work
About Emily
Emily Hakkinen is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) licensed in Vermont with five years of professional experience. She helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, low self-esteem, trouble with motivation, and related concerns such as addiction and depression. Emily also lists additional focus areas including guilt and shame, forgiveness, attachment and abandonment issues, caregiving stress, and life purpose.
She keeps sessions straightforward and conversational. Emily listens for what matters most and reflects it back. She pays attention to how thoughts, behaviors, and relationships feed one another. Sessions aim to identify small, practical steps that feel doable between appointments.
Emily draws from client-centered methods that put the person's perspective at the center of the work. She uses mindfulness practices to help people notice difficult feelings without becoming overwhelmed. Motivational interviewing appears in her work when someone wants to build momentum for change.
She also uses narrative and solution-focused techniques to help people reframe stories they tell about themselves and to set clear, short-term goals. That mix can help with things like coping with loss, reducing avoidance, or acting on values when guilt or shame gets in the way.
Emily practices in Vermont and conducts sessions in English. Her approach is practical and steady, aimed at helping people sort through difficult feelings and take manageable steps forward.
How her approaches work in online sessions
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting the person's experience back so they feel understood. In online sessions this looks like allowing the client to guide topics while the therapist checks in and clarifies what matters most. Mindfulness practices teach short attention exercises and grounding techniques to notice feelings as they arise, which can be practiced during a session and applied afterward. Motivational interviewing helps people weigh their own reasons for change and strengthen commitment by exploring ambivalence in a respectful way.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Emily collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and goals. She adjusts techniques when something feels off and emphasizes practical steps the person can try between meetings.
Confirm the exact session formats before booking to know what is offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into a day, allow for brief check-ins when needed, and avoid travel time. They also let the client use mindfulness exercises or brief motivational conversations in the moment, which can help translate session work into everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
Vermont
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
Emily works with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, grief, self-esteem, motivation, addictions, depression, and related concerns including guilt and shame.
How does she approach therapy?
She favors a straightforward, conversational style using client-centered listening, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, narrative and solution-focused techniques.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Emily has five years of professional work experience as a Vermont LICSW.
What credential and location apply to her practice?
She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) licensed in Vermont and practices in that state.
Are sessions offered in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Confirm current session options before booking to learn which formats are offered for appointments.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.