Dana Hicks , LCSW

Dana Hicks is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in New Jersey who works with adults facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma, grief, and self-esteem concerns. She brings five years of clinical experience to each session and aims to make therapy straightforward and practical for people feeling overwhelmed.

Her approach centers on listening first and then building clear goals together. Sessions focus on concrete steps clients can use between meetings. Dana helps people name patterns that cause pain and practices new ways of coping in everyday life.

Dana also addresses issues such as abandonment, caregiver stress, divorce and separation, domestic violence, and infidelity. She supports those processing sexual assault, post-traumatic stress, and the particular pressures many women face. She talks through guilt, shame, and the work of rebuilding self-love.

In sessions she uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to guide conversations and skill-building. Meetings are collaborative and paced to each person’s needs. The intent is steady progress rather than quick fixes.

Clients can expect practical tools for managing anxiety and grief, clearer communication skills for strained relationships, and ways to strengthen self-esteem. Dana aims to help people leave each session with one or two doable actions to try before the next meeting.

Approaches That Translate to Online Care

Many clients benefit from structured, evidence-based techniques that focus on present needs and skill-building. One common approach emphasizes practical coping skills for anxiety and stress, teaching breathing, grounding, and behavioral changes that reduce daily distress and improve functioning.

Another frequently used approach focuses on processing trauma in a paced and contained way, helping people tell their story, reduce intense reactions, and practice new responses to triggers. This work supports recovery from events like sexual assault, abuse, and other traumatic experiences.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk through goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before to choose methods that fit. This is a collaborative process and adjustments are made as progress is tracked.

Online sessions are available by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video calls let you use visual cues and longer conversation, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or you want a simpler check-in, live chat works for shorter focused conversations, and messaging lets you send updates or questions between sessions. These options make it easier to balance therapy with work, caregiving, or other daily demands.