Cheryl Livian, LMSW
Location
In-person therapy in Port Jefferson
NY and virtual therapy throughout New York State
Services
Individual Therapy
Anxiety and Stress Therapy
Depression Therapy
Grief and Loss Support
Trauma Therapy
Life Transitions Therapy
Specialties
Anxiety, Stress, and Depression
Grief and Loss
Trauma
Relationship Issues
Work Issues
Life Transitions
ADHD
Teachers and Education Professionals
Overthinking
People-pleasing, Boundaries, and Communication
Low Confidence and Self-Esteem
When Your Mind Keeps Racing
You may feel overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, depressed, or stuck. During the day, it may be hard to stay motivated, manage responsibilities, or stop overthinking.
At night, when you are alone with your thoughts, your mind may race with thoughts about the future, past experiences, fears, or relationships.
Boundaries, communication issues, unhealthy relationship patterns, or low confidence may keep coming up, even when you are trying hard to move forward.
I’m Cheryl Livian, LMSW, a licensed master social worker with 9 years of experience, licensed in New York. I provide therapy in Port Jefferson and online throughout New York State.
Why Work With Me
I believe clients are the experts in their own lives.
Many people come to therapy wanting to manage stress and anxiety, stop overthinking, stop people-pleasing, be more assertive, improve relationships, improve communication, and be happier overall.
My style is client-centered, collaborative, compassionate, nonjudgmental, and supportive. I work at a pace that feels okay for you while also helping you look at patterns, thoughts, and relationships from different perspectives.
The work is not about forcing change before you feel ready. It is about creating a space where you can feel safe, heard, and understood so there is room for openness, reflection, honesty, growth, and increased self-awareness.
Clients tend to choose me because I am supportive, nonjudgmental, and easy to talk to, while also being honest and challenging them when it helps them make progress.
My Approach to Therapy
My approach is client-centered and collaborative.
I meet you where you are at and work at a pace that feels okay for you. I offer support and validation so you feel understood and not alone in what you are going through.
I use CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and psychodynamic therapy when helpful. In plain language, that means we may look at your thoughts, emotions, patterns, relationships, coping skills, boundaries, communication, and past experiences so you can better understand what is contributing to how you feel now.
Together, we look at both support and practical tools so things feel more manageable day to day.
What Working With Me Is Like
Therapy with me is supportive, honest, and reflective.
I create a safe, supportive space where you can talk openly about what you are going through without judgment. We may look at what is causing stress, patterns that feel stuck, and what might be getting in the way of feeling how you want to feel.
I offer honest feedback when it feels helpful, while always respecting your pace and what feels right for you. I may challenge unhelpful thoughts and patterns, but I also help you understand that setbacks and challenges are okay and do not discount the progress you have made.
I am a good fit for clients who like a balance of support, validation, honesty, and being challenged. I may not be the best fit for clients who want a highly structured approach or are not comfortable with being challenged.
Getting To Know Me
I have experience supporting adults through anxiety, stress, depression, grief and loss, trauma, relationship issues, work issues, and major life transitions. I also have experience with ADHD, trauma, and teachers and education professionals.
My professional background includes outpatient mental health, partial hospitalization, residential psychiatric care, children’s care management, child protective services, and earlier work in HR, recruiting, and management. That range of experience helps me understand how emotional stress, work stress, family dynamics, and life transitions can overlap.
Outside of being a therapist, I enjoy reading, music, cooking, travel, trying new foods and restaurants, spending time with family and friends, and my dog Ginger, a mini goldendoodle.
Personal grief and loss also inform my work and the way I sit with clients who are carrying something painful.
Begin Therapy in Port Jefferson
Starting therapy can be a place to feel safe, heard, and understood. You do not have to figure everything out before you begin. We can start by talking openly about what you are going through, what feels stuck, and what might be getting in the way of feeling how you want to feel.
I offer therapy in Port Jefferson and virtually throughout New York State.
If you are looking for support and practical tools at a pace that feels okay for you, you can reach out to Lightpath Counseling Group.
Clinical Training & Credentials
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Licensed Master Social Worker, LMSW
New York License Number: 121652-01
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Master of Social Work, Stony Brook University
Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University
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Client-centered therapy
CBT
DBT
Mindfulness
Psychodynamic therapy
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9 years of experience
Clinical Social, Worker/Therapist, Lightpath Counseling Group, November 2023 to presentClinical/Psychiatric Social Worker/Therapist, Mather Hospital, Northwell Health, September 2022 to present
Outpatient Partial Hospitalization Program and Outpatient Mental Health Clinic experience
Children’s Care Manager, Graduate Student Intern, Association for Mental Health and Wellness, September 2020 to July 2021Residential Program Specialist, Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, 2019 to 2020
Caseworker, Nassau County DSS, Child Protective Services, 2017 to 2018HR, recruiting, and management experience, 2006 to 2017
When You Feel Nothing Changes
If part of you is tired of going in circles, that matters. If you’re at the point where you almost make a decision and then pull yourself back, that matters too. Lightpath Counseling Group offers in-person therapy in Port Jefferson and virtual sessions across New York. You don’t have to have the right words. You don’t have to have it figured out.