Emily-Rose Santamaria , LCSW

Emily-Rose Santamaria is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Connecticut with four years of professional experience. She has supported people ages 7 to 60 through a range of concerns including stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, mood disorders, depression, ADD/ADHD, attachment and relationship difficulties, and family conflict.

Her therapeutic manner is warm and interactive, grounded in the belief that therapy is a collaborative effort. She approaches each person with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and avoids stigmatizing labels while working alongside clients to reach their goals. Emily-Rose centers her work on the strengths each person brings and emphasizes solution-focused, person-centered care.

Emily-Rose uses an eclectic mix of methods drawn from cognitive-behavioral, humanistic, psychodynamic, dialectical behavior, and attachment-based therapies. She tailors conversations and treatment plans to meet unique needs, blending evidence-informed techniques with a focus on relationships and attachment. She encourages clients to recognize their own expertise in their stories and honors the courage it takes to begin therapy.

Approaches That Translate Well to Online Therapy

Emily-Rose often draws on attachment-based work to explore how early and current relationships shape emotions and patterns. This approach helps people address trust, closeness, abandonment, and relationship difficulties by focusing on bonds and how they influence behavior.

She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify unhelpful thoughts and develop practical skills for managing anxiety, depression, and mood-related challenges. CBT offers concrete tools for changing patterns that get in the way of daily functioning.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) techniques are incorporated when emotional regulation, distress tolerance, or intense reactions are central concerns. DBT provides skills for managing strong emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process, and Emily-Rose works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. She tailors sessions based on what feels most useful for the individual rather than applying a single model to every case.

Online therapy with licensed professionals offers flexibility in how and when people meet their therapist. Video calls and phone sessions allow for face-to-face interaction, while live chat and text-based messaging provide options for more immediate or lower-intensity support. These formats can make ongoing care more accessible for people juggling work, school, family, or geographic constraints.