Stephanie Gaete, MSW, LCSW

Stephanie Gaete, LCSW is a bilingual and deeply dedicated Licensed Clinical Social Worker at HQHT whose compassionate presence, breadth of clinical experience, and genuine investment in every client's wellbeing shine through in everything she does.

Stephanie earned her Master of Social Work from Sacred Heart University and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Connecticut. Her career has taken her across some of the most demanding and diverse clinical settings in mental health, from crisis intervention to hospital based social work to school and family therapy programs.

Stephanie currently serves as an Outpatient Therapist at Express, Liberate, Explore LLC, where she facilitates individual and family therapy, evaluates mental health diagnoses, and creates and implements personalized treatment plans. Prior to this she served as Lead Social Worker for Effective School Solutions, delivering clinical interventions to support students' academic and mental health stability through group, individual, and family counseling.

Her clinical background also includes work as a Social Worker at Stamford Hospital, a Crisis Clinician providing mobile psychiatric crisis assessments for children at Community Health Center, and a Mental Health Counselor at IICAPS Family and Children Agency, where she conducted intakes, facilitated therapy sessions, and coordinated closely with families and providers. Earlier in her career she worked as a Direct Care Counselor at Mid Fairfield Child Guidance Center, supporting children through individualized crisis management plans and therapeutic group activities.

Stephanie is fully bilingual in Spanish, allowing her to connect meaningfully with a broader range of clients and families, and is trained in EMDR, bringing trauma informed care to every session.

Stephanie's warmth, clinical expertise, and genuine dedication to her clients make her an invaluable addition to the HQHT team. She is proud to walk alongside every individual and family she works with on their path toward healing.