Alanna Kardon-Alkalay , LCSW

Alanna Kardon-Alkalay is a licensed clinical social worker in New York with 15 years of experience supporting individuals, families, and children across agency, school, and private practice settings. She has worked in preventive services with children and families, provided counseling in an adult mental health day program, and held a contract with a New York public school system to address student needs. In private practice she has supported adults facing depression, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, relationship struggles, and parenting concerns, as well as individuals who have experienced post-traumatic stress, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.

She holds a master’s degree from Fordham University in Tarrytown, NY, where she received clinical training in individual counseling and family systems. As an LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker - she blends structured techniques with humanistic, narrative, and integrative perspectives. She frequently draws on cognitive-behavioral approaches while remaining open to other methods, tailoring interventions to each person’s history and goals.

Alanna emphasizes collaborative treatment planning, creating individualized plans with input from each client and adapting those plans as needs and life circumstances evolve. She works from a foundation of professional ethics that affirms the dignity and worth of each person, and she encourages mindfulness practices that help clients notice the present moment - whether through meditation, time in nature, or other activities that feel meaningful. Her practice centers on helping people use their existing strengths to pursue personal growth and clearer direction.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Alanna frequently uses client-centered therapy, which focuses on meeting each person where they are and building a trusting, empathetic relationship that helps clients explore their feelings and priorities. This approach works well for people seeking a supportive space to clarify values, improve self-understanding, and address relationship or identity concerns.

She also employs cognitive behavioral therapy, a practical, evidence-informed method that helps people identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, stress management, and coping with life transitions. In addition, she incorporates mindfulness practices to cultivate present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity, which can be useful for stress, emotional regulation, and developing greater self-compassion.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Licensed professionals, including Alanna, work with clients to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences, and treatment plans are adjusted together over time to reflect progress and changing priorities.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging - so people can choose the format that fits their schedule and comfort level. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care during busy or transitional periods and to access regular support from trained therapists without travel.