LCSW, 35 years of experience
New to Grow
Welcome. My name is Elisa Loncola-Hicks, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 35 years of experience supporting individuals and families through life’s most challenging moments. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families across a wide range of settings—including child welfare, forensic assessments, behavioral health, family-based services, outpatient therapy, and trauma-focused residential programs. My clinical approach is grounded in evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the skills and foundations of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), allowing me to tailor treatment to your unique needs, strengths, and goals. I work from a place of compassion, cultural sensitivity, and deep respect for your lived experiences.
Our first session is a gentle, welcoming opportunity for us to begin understanding one another and establishing a foundation for our work together. You can expect a supportive, respectful environment where your experiences and concerns are heard without judgment. During this initial meeting, we will explore what brings you to therapy at this time, clarify your goals, and discuss what you hope to change, strengthen, or better understand about yourself or your situation. I will guide the conversation with thoughtful questions, but at a pace that feels comfortable for you. We will review your history, current stressors, and any symptoms you may be experiencing. This helps me gain a clear picture of your needs and begin forming a tailored treatment plan that aligns with your priorities. My approach integrates evidence-based modalities such as CBT, DBT-informed skills, and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy when appropriate, always grounded in cultural sensitivity and respect for your personal values. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the therapy process, my therapeutic style, confidentiality, and how we will collaborate moving forward. By the end of the session, we will outline next steps together—whether that includes ongoing therapy, specific interventions, or additional supports that may benefit you. The first session marks the beginning of our shared work: building a safe, trusting therapeutic relationship where your growth, healing, and resilience remain the central focus.
I possess a level of clinical judgment, emotional intelligence, and situational awareness that only decades of practice can cultivate. This longevity reflects resilience, adaptability, and a sustained commitment to service. My work spans children, adolescents, adults, families, couples, and complex systems like child welfare, forensic interviewing, behavioral health, and trauma-informed settings. This gives me a rare versatility; I can navigate micro, mezzo, and macro environments with confidence and precision. I am highly skilled in multiple evidence-based interventions and able to tailor them to the specific developmental, cultural, and emotional needs of each client. This flexibility—knowing when to follow a model and when to adapt it—is a hallmark of advanced clinical practice. I am able to create genuine rapport, foster trust quickly, and maintain therapeutic relationships with individuals from highly diverse backgrounds. I am able to convey safety, empathy, and professionalism.
Children, teens, or adults with trauma histories, Survivors of abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or family separation, and/or Individuals experiencing PTSD symptoms, dissociation, or chronic emotional dysregulation. Support with anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, Behavior and school-related challenges, Skill-building in CBT/DBT foundations, Stability during family transitions (divorce, custody, foster care, reunification) Adults Seeking Insight, Stability, and Skill-Building, Families in Crisis or Transition, Couples Seeking Structure, and/or Communication, and Emotional Safety
I integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a foundational approach in my therapeutic practice. I utilize CBT to help clients identify and understand the connections between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, fostering insight into long-standing patterns that contribute to distress or functional impairment. My work emphasizes collaborative goal-setting, development of coping strategies, and skills-based interventions that empower clients to manage symptoms more effectively in their daily lives.
I integrate Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) as a structured, evidence-based framework to support children, adolescents, and families in healing from traumatic experiences. My approach emphasizes a balance of stabilization, skill-building, and trauma processing, ensuring safety and readiness before engaging in deeper therapeutic work. I begin by strengthening emotional regulation, coping strategies, and psychoeducation to build a strong foundation for clients and their caregivers. This includes helping clients understand trauma responses, normalize symptoms, and increase their capacity to manage distress. I utilize developmentally appropriate cognitive and behavioral techniques to address unhelpful thoughts, reduce avoidance patterns, and expand a client’s sense of control and mastery.
I integrate Family Systems Therapy as a central foundation of my work. I view each client not as an isolated individual but as part of a broader relational network that shapes their emotional patterns, coping styles, and sense of identity. In my practice, symptoms are understood within the context of family roles, communication patterns, generational dynamics, and the unspoken rules that often guide behaviors.