Margaret Swanson, LICSW

Margaret Swanson is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, and the strain of health challenges. She works with concerns such as parenting pressures, career stress, compassion fatigue, and ADHD. Her tone is steady and practical, aimed at people who want clear steps and real change.

Margaret keeps sessions focused on everyday life and problem solving. She listens for what matters most, then helps clients set small, achievable goals. Conversations often include strategies for managing strong emotions, improving communication, and coping with life changes like illness or caregiving demands.

Her background spans 25 years of clinical work in Vermont as a LICSW - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. That experience includes supporting people through trauma, attachment struggles, and long-term health or pain issues. She draws on multiple approaches to match each person’s needs rather than using a single method for everyone.

Typical sessions balance practical skills and personal reflection. Clients may work on things like mood management, rebuilding routines after loss, or reducing addictive behaviors. The focus is on skills that can be used between appointments and on understanding patterns that keep problems recurring.

Margaret aims to be a steady partner during difficult transitions. She helps people identify values, clarify priorities, and take small steps toward a livable, more manageable everyday routine.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small actions toward those values while accepting difficult feelings. It’s useful for coping with chronic illness, grief, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical experiments to change mood and behavior, which can help with anxiety, depression, and stress. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns in close relationships and helps people develop more secure ways of relating, useful after trauma or in strained family roles.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful. That conversation guides which methods get used and how sessions are structured, so therapy fits individual needs rather than a one-size-fits-all model.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people practice skills in their regular environment and bring real-life challenges into the conversation for immediate problem solving.