Stephen Dexter
Recovery-oriented counselor focused on practical change
LCPC Maine
- Experience
- 12 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Addictions, Relationship, Family
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Stephen
Stephen Dexter is an LCPC practicing in Maine with 12 years of clinical experience. He began his career working directly in clients' homes and later focused on intensive substance use and co-occurring disorders, bringing practical knowledge from those settings into his broader counseling work.
Background and approach
As someone in recovery himself, he emphasizes hope and the possibility of change for people facing addictive behaviors and related struggles. His approach blends cognitive behavioral techniques with client-centered and mindfulness-informed practices, and he also draws on DBT and Jungian perspectives when appropriate.
He offers individual, couples, group, and in-home modalities and has worked with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma, addictions, relationship challenges, parenting stress, eating and body image issues, and career or life-transition difficulties.
Stephen encourages clients to explore meaning and spiritual resources if that aligns with their values, using collaboration to identify goals and practical steps toward them. Stephen frames therapy as a guided process of uncovering patterns - such as addictive thinking or communication obstacles - and building skills for coping and change.
He aims to combine clinical tools with empathy and real-world experience so clients can make sustainable progress toward clearer purpose and healthier relationships.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is used to identify and change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns; it often focuses on practical skills and problem-solving that can apply to issues like anxiety, depression, and addictive behaviors. Client-Centered Therapy prioritizes a supportive, nonjudgmental relationship and helps clients explore their own values and goals at their own pace. Dialectical Behavior Therapy combines acceptance and change strategies with skills training in areas like emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness, which can be helpful for intense emotions and relationship conflicts.
Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process. The therapist works with each person to explore what methods match their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting methods over time as progress and priorities evolve. This cooperative stance helps tailor sessions to what feels most useful for the client.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, allowing clients to fit sessions into busy schedules and access care from different locations. These formats make it easier to practice skills between sessions and maintain continuity of care when in-person visits are not feasible, while still enabling regular therapeutic collaboration with a licensed professional.
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Licensed
Maine
Languages
English