Wendy Kesel, LCSW-R

Wendy Kesel is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in New York with 26 years of experience. She focuses on practical help for people facing stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns. Wendy aims to make the first step feel manageable and offers steady support as clients work toward small, meaningful changes.

Wendy creates an open, nonjudgmental space where feelings and thoughts can be talked through. She listens for what matters most to each person and helps set clear, achievable goals. Sessions tend to focus on real-life problems and usable tools rather than abstract theory.

Her work includes coping with life changes, parenting challenges, grief, trauma and mood concerns like depression and bipolar disorder. She also supports people dealing with ADHD, intimacy issues, anger, self-esteem and career questions. Additional areas she attends to include attachment issues, adoption and foster care concerns, caregiver stress, and body image.

Wendy draws on several approaches to tailor therapy to each person. She uses techniques from cognitive behavioral work to identify patterns, client-centered ways to follow a person’s lead, and acceptance-based strategies to manage difficult feelings. Dialectical skills and attachment-based ideas are used when appropriate.

People who want a calm, steady therapist and straightforward tools often find her approach helpful. She encourages small steps, practical practice between sessions, and ongoing conversation about what is and isn’t working. To begin, readers should use the site Start Therapy flow to match and schedule.

Therapeutic approaches and how they translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting driven by them. It emphasizes values and small committed actions to create a more meaningful life, which can be useful for midlife changes and stress. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and changing behaviors. It offers concrete exercises and short homework tasks that adapt well to remote sessions and between-session practice.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, habits, and what feels most helpful. Together they decide which strategies to try, adjust as needed, and track progress over time so the plan fits the client’s needs and preferences.

Confirm the available session options before booking, as formats are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, avoid travel time, and use short check-ins or longer appointments when needed. Practical benefits include doing exercises at home, sharing real-life examples during sessions, and keeping momentum between visits without promising a particular delivery method.