The goal of therapy is to help you make positive changes so you can have a happier and more satisfying life. Dr. Stokes will give you support, along with practical guidance, tailored to fit your needs and strengths. She will do this by using her experience in cognitive-behavioral techniques, psychodynamic theory, and other evidence-based treatments that suit you and your particular journey. Her purpose is to help you learn to overcome your current difficulties so that you can apply those new skills whenever you need them – this will help you to handle future challenges more easily. It is important to Dr. Stokes that therapy feels like a comfortable, safe, and non-judgmental place, so she will always strive to make sure your therapy moves at a comfortable pace.
Over the past 20+ years, Dr. Stokes has helped individuals with depression, anxiety, parenting and relationship issues, life stressors (chronic pain, illness, sleep issues), and transitions (identifying as LGBTQ+, experiencing grief or loss). Dr. Stokes has also helped children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral issues. She can also evaluate them for ADHD and learning disabilities and make recommendations on how to best accommodate for these issues.
Dr. Stokes enjoys working with adults, adolescents, and children and is available for in-person or telehealth visits.
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
Before becoming a psychologist, Dr. Stokes was a teacher for preschool children with autism, intellectual disabilities, and severe behavioral disorders. In addition to working with the students, she held support groups for their families and provided consultations to individualize behavioral plans that could help reduce problems at home.
Dr. Stokes has trained and worked in diverse settings (outpatient, inpatient, and schools) with a wide variety of clients including:
– adults with mild to severe emotional issues,
– individuals traumatized by car accidents or work-related injuries,
– adults with severe chronic mental illness (psychotic disorders),
– children and adolescents with mild to severe emotional and behavioral issues,
– children with ADHD, learning disabilities, behavioral and emotional issues, and
– families that needed guidance in becoming happier and more nurturing.
EDUCATION
Dr. Stokes earned her Ph.D. at The New School for Social Research, an APA-accredited university in New York City. She was trained at two APA-internship sites: Woodhull Hospital and Kings County Hospital, both in Brooklyn, New York.