Stefani Tountzios
(she/her)
New to Grow
I’m Stefani, a licensed clinical social worker with a deep curiosity about people, what shapes them, what protects them, and what keeps them stuck in patterns they can’t seem to shift. I work with adults navigating anxiety, trauma, grief, and the relational dynamics that often sit underneath it all. My approach is collaborative, grounded, and human. I care about making therapy feel like a real conversation, not a clinical transaction.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Our first session is about slowing down and getting to know you , what’s bringing you in, what you’re hoping will feel different, and what’s been overwhelming or stuck. I’ll ask thoughtful, gentle questions and reflect what I’m noticing so we can begin to understand your patterns and history. You don’t need to have anything figured out before we meet. By the end, we’ll have a clearer sense of direction and whether working together feels like a good fit.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
Clients often tell me they feel understood quickly and that we get to the real stuff without it feeling too fast or too much. I’m skilled at seeing beneath the surface, the survival strategies, attachment patterns, and nervous‑system responses that are running the show even when you wish they weren’t. Together, we work on shifting those patterns in your body and relationships, not just in your thoughts.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
My clients tend to be thoughtful, self‑aware adults who are a little tired of being self‑aware. They’ve read the books, done the journaling, maybe spent years in therapy and they genuinely understand where their patterns come from. But the anxiety still spikes. The shame still floods in. The disconnection still shows up in relationships, in the body, or in the middle of the night. They’re not looking for more insight. They’re looking for something to actually change. I’m best positioned to support adults navigating relational trauma, grief, attachment wounds, anxiety, depression, shame, guilt, and dissociation, the kinds of experiences that live in the nervous system, not just the mind. The work we do together goes below the level of story and into the place where lasting change becomes possible.
Specialties
Top specialties
Anxiety
Grief
Trauma and PTSD
Other specialties
Coping Skills
Depression
Life Transitions
I identify as
White
Woman
Licensed in
Indiana
Accepts
Arlo
Location
Virtual
My treatment methods
EMDR
I use EMDR within a trauma‑informed, client‑centered approach to help you process distressing experiences, reduce emotional reactivity, and shift the negative self‑beliefs that keep old patterns in place. EMDR can be especially helpful for anxiety, trauma, and relational wounds that feel stuck in the body. We move at a pace that feels safe, emphasizing stabilization, collaboration, and nervous‑system awareness so you never feel pushed beyond your window of tolerance.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
I incorporate IFS‑informed approaches to help you understand and relate to different “parts” of yourself with more curiosity and compassion. We use IFS concepts to explore protective patterns, emotional wounds, self‑criticism, and relational dynamics that contribute to anxiety, shame, and emotional dysregulation. This work helps you build internal safety and balance so your system feels less reactive and more grounded. The process is collaborative and paced gently, supporting you in developing a more integrated and compassionate relationship with yourself.
Polyvagal Therapy
I use polyvagal‑informed interventions to help you understand how your nervous system responds to stress, trauma, and relational experiences. We integrate grounding, somatic awareness, and regulation strategies to support emotional steadiness, reduce physiological reactivity, and build a greater sense of safety and connection in daily life. This work helps you recognize your body’s cues, widen your window of tolerance, and move through challenging moments with more clarity and resilience.
Somatic
I incorporate somatic approaches to help you increase awareness of how emotional experiences show up in your body. We use body‑based interventions, grounding techniques, and nervous‑system regulation strategies to support you in processing stress, trauma, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm in a way that feels safe and manageable. This work helps you notice your body’s cues, build more internal steadiness, and develop a deeper sense of connection between what you feel and how your body responds.
Grief Therapy
I approach grief therapy through a compassionate, trauma‑informed lens and have additional postgraduate education in thanatology, the study of death, grief, and bereavement. I support you in processing loss, navigating complex emotions, and making meaning of your grief while honoring the emotional, relational, and physiological impact that loss can have over time. This work moves at your pace and centers safety, connection, and the understanding that grief is not something to “get over,” but something to integrate in a way that feels more bearable and true to your experience.