Courtney Nelson , LICSW

Courtney Nelson is a Rhode Island licensed clinician with 22 years of professional experience, holding the LICSW credential, which indicates a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Over two decades she has supported people facing stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and challenges with self-esteem, confidence, and motivation.

She works from a foundation of respect, sensitivity, and compassion, shaping conversations and treatment plans to reflect each person’s unique needs and goals. Courtney emphasizes practical coping strategies while attending to the emotional impact of life changes such as divorce, caregiving responsibilities, chronic illness or pain, and end-of-life concerns. Her practice also addresses issues related to abandonment, family conflict, communication difficulties, forgiveness, guilt and shame, isolation, life purpose, midlife transitions, financial stress, and mood disorders.

Recognizing that taking the first step toward a more fulfilling life takes courage, she offers steady support through the process of change. Her approach balances client-centered care with structured techniques to help individuals clarify priorities, build resilience, and move toward meaningful, sustainable progress.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care with Courtney

Courtney draws on client-centered therapy to create a supportive, nonjudgmental space where clients lead the conversation and the therapist follows their priorities; this approach is helpful for people working through identity, self-esteem, and life-direction concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is used to identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and to develop practical skills for managing anxiety, stress, mood challenges, and everyday coping. Motivational Interviewing focuses on strengthening a person's own motivation to change, which can be especially useful for improving follow-through with goals and navigating ambivalence around major life transitions.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and she collaborates with each person to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative process may combine elements from different approaches over time as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, manage mobility or health limitations, or maintain continuity during life transitions. Licensed professionals and therapists can adapt these formats to support goal setting, skill-building, and ongoing emotional support in ways that work for each client.