01 · Who Cheryl works with

Cheryl works with stress, Anxiety, trauma and abuse and self esteem

Cheryl lists 19 specialisms and 56 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Cheryl chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Cheryl's own words

What Cheryl says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Today you are one step closer to a new you where you feel empowered and on a positive path to growth and well-being.

As a solution-focused therapist, my goal is to help you uncover your true potential and lead a life that is worth celebrating. While we can't change difficult situations of the past, we can work together to better understand and resolve challenges in your life. By applying complementary therapy approaches and techniques, we will unearth long-standing behavior patterns or negative perceptions that may be holding you back from experiencing a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with 25 years of experience. I establish trust and rapport with many diverse populations such as LGBTQIA+ and non-monogamous relationships. I sat on the New York State committee for inclusion and diversity for several years. I specialize in working with persons with a variety of mental health concerns such as: Anger Management, Anxiety, Depression, Personality Disorders and Sexual Identity. I also work with transition age youth who are on the spectrum. In addition, I am a Vocational Counselor so I can assist with job-related issues. My familiarity with the Americans with Disabilities Act puts me in a uniquely qualified position to help the disabled population.

I am located in the USA in the Eastern Standard Time Zone. I work here full time Monday-Friday from 9:00AM - 9:00PM EST and Saturdays 11:00AM - 4:00PM EST. Most clients enjoy a combination of message-based communication that is not in real time along with regular weekly live sessions by video, or phone. I respond to individuals within 24 hours of receiving a message.

If you're looking for extra support and guidance through a challenging situation or you're just ready to move in a new direction in your life, I look forward to working with you to achieve your goals.

"A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step."

Cheryl Pacione, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Cheryl works

The 6 approaches Cheryl lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Cheryl lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Cheryl's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Cheryl runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Also listed

• Existential Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Cheryl practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Cheryl's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Cheryl at this point.

2. Naming Cheryl specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Cheryl is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Cheryl.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Cheryl

Built from what Cheryl actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Cheryl's - Cheryl has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 25 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMHC

Licensed in

New York

Licence

NY LMHC 000377

Licence number

000377

Licence expires

30 Nov 2026

NPI

1376270207

Years in practice

25

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Cheryl's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Cheryl. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.