About Haley Speer, LCSW

I’m not the kind of therapist who just nods and asks how that makes you feel.

Though sometimes I do do that. It’s just not all I do.

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I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) providing telehealth psychotherapy for adults dealing with burnout, chronic stress, health-related strain, anxiety, and complicated relationship patterns. Much of my work sits at the intersection of stress, health experiences, and relationships, especially when strain shows up both in the body and in everyday interactions and thoughts. I am licensed to practice in New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, and Arkansas.

 

My approach is steady, thoughtful, and practical. I listen closely, notice patterns, and help people slow things down enough to understand what’s actually happening, without rushing toward answers or getting stuck in analysis.

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Many people who come to see me have functioned well on the outside, while struggling on the inside. They’re capable, conscientious, and used to managing a lot, but all that effort is becoming unsustainable. The strain starts to show up in sleep, health, work, or relationships, and it becomes harder to ignore. Therapy becomes less about fixing one problem and more about making sense of the whole picture and deciding what needs to shift.

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The role of health and the body

I work from the assumption that mental health and physical health are closely connected. Burnout, anxiety, trauma, and relationship strain don’t just live in the mind. They show up in the nervous system, in sleep, in pain, in energy, and in the ways people push past limits long after their body has started to signal that something needs attention.

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Because of that, I work best with people who are open to understanding their experience as both physical and emotional, and to exploring how those systems affect one another over time. This doesn’t mean being told what to do or following a rigid plan. It means being willing to notice when something clearly isn’t working anymore, and to think realistically about what might need to change.

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Health matters to me, professionally and personally. I’ve had to make real changes in my own life to take care of it. Those changes were difficult and, at times, unsettling. They were also possible and beneficial. That perspective shapes how I work. I don’t minimize how hard change can be, and I don’t assume it is simple or fast.

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Training and background

I earned my Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina in 2008 and became an independently Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in 2012. I began my career in trauma-focused settings, where I developed a strong foundation in careful assessment, pacing, deep listening, and practical guidance.

 

My work has become more integrative as my experience has deepened. While I’ve trained in approaches such as Cognitive Processing Therapy, DBT, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, my focus is less on applying a specific method and more on understanding how stress, illness, and long-standing patterns shape a person’s capacity over time.

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You can find more detail about my training, background, and professional experience along with the states where I am licensed in the FAQ. Or book a consult here. 

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How I approach therapy

I don’t take a prescriptive approach to therapy, and I don’t believe in circling the same material indefinitely. The work we do is thoughtful and contained. We slow things down enough to understand what’s really going on, while keeping an eye on follow-through and what you’re realistically ready to change outside the therapy room.

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Sessions are a mix of careful listening, clear thinking, and honest conversation. We pay attention to patterns in how you respond to stress, where you tend to overextend or shut down, and how your body signals when something isn’t working. From there, we focus on making sense of those patterns in a way that supports real movement, not just insight.

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Change here isn’t forced or rushed. At the same time, we’re not dilly-dallying. Therapy is a place to think clearly, tell the truth, and take steps that are small enough to be realistic and meaningful enough to matter.

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You can read more about how I work in the FAQ.

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Therapy that holds and carries forward

Therapy with me tends to feel steady and purposeful. There’s room to explore what’s complex or unclear, but the work stays grounded. We’re paying attention not only to what you understand, but to what you’re reasonably able to apply to your life.

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Over time, the aim is greater clarity and steadiness. That clarity supports follow-through. Conversations you’ve been avoiding become easier to approach. Boundaries feel clearer. Decisions feel less fraught. Therapy becomes a place where things start to hold, rather than slipping away between sessions. That steadiness doesn’t just feel better. It makes change possible and more likely to last.

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Next steps

If you’re looking for specifics about who I work with, fees, or logistics, the FAQ is the best place to start. 

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If you think we might be a good fit, the next step is a free 30-minute consultation. It’s a low-key way to talk through what’s been going on and whether this kind of support makes sense for you.