- Years in practice
- 28
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Addictions
- Focus
- LGBT
About Stuart
Stuart Riskin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 28 years of experience. He helps people navigate stress, anxiety, relationship strain, addictions, grief, parenting challenges, and life transitions. He speaks English and works with clients in California and internationally via online formats.
Stuart took a nontraditional path into social work after a first career in the entertainment industry. That varied background shaped his practical approach to helping people change patterns that cause pain.
Background and approach
He treats each client as an expert on their own life and focuses on practical steps they can try between sessions. His style is supportive and strength-based. Sessions involve clear goals, real-world strategies, and regular check-ins about what is or isn’t working.
He uses tools from talk-based therapies and mindfulness to help clients manage strong emotions and make steady progress. Parents looking for help with parenting stress, communication problems, or blended-family issues can expect straightforward guidance and coping strategies they can use at home.
Stuart also offers support for mood concerns such as depression and bipolar disorder, and for challenges like addiction, grief, and trauma recovery. Over his career he has worked in public and personal settings and combines that experience with a practical focus on daily life. People who value collaboration, direct feedback, and homework-style practice often find his sessions useful.
To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
What Stuart works with
Everything Stuart lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Stuart helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Stuart lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Gottman Method
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches for online parenting and life challenges
Stuart commonly uses Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) when working online. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and helping people feel heard so they can explore choices and decide what change looks like. CBT breaks down patterns of thought and behavior and teaches concrete skills to reduce anxiety, manage mood swings, and address unhelpful reactions.Finding the right approach is part of the work. He will collaborate with each person to decide which methods make sense for their goals and preferences. That choice can shift over time as needs change and progress is evaluated together.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video lets you use visual cues for relationship and parenting conversations. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat or text messaging can work for brief check-ins, coaching-style guidance, or when writing feels more natural. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy days and to keep momentum between appointments.
Questions people ask about Stuart
What concerns does this therapist commonly help with?
He works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, trauma and parenting-related challenges among other issues.
What is his therapeutic style like?
The approach is supportive and strength-based, focusing on collaboration, clear goals, and practical steps you can use between sessions.
How much clinical experience does he have?
He brings 28 years of experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has worked in both public and personal settings.
Where is he based and what are his credentials?
He is based in California and holds the credential LCSW, listed as CA LCSW.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and he also accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
He offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.
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