Nancy Lefler-Panela , LCSW

Nancy Lefler-Panela is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in Tennessee who brings a compassionate, strengths-focused approach to therapeutic work. With three years of direct clinical experience, she supports individuals and families navigating stress, anxiety, relationship and family conflicts, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, substance use concerns, parenting challenges, and life transitions. She also works with issues related to attachment, adoption and foster care, codependency, and post-traumatic stress.

Nancy emphasizes that clients are the experts of their own stories and that they already possess strengths that can be mobilized to face difficult circumstances. Her work centers on empowering people to take courageous steps toward greater well-being, offering practical coping strategies and collaborative support as they pursue meaningful change. As a licensed professional in Tennessee and California, she draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques tailored to each person’s needs and goals.

Nancy provides therapy in English and welcomes international clients. Her practice addresses both immediate concerns and longer-term growth, combining compassionate listening with goal-oriented guidance to help clients build resilience, improve relationships, and find clearer direction in their personal and professional lives.

Evidence-Based Approaches and Online Care

Nancy uses evidence-based, strengths-focused work that centers on the client’s experience. A strengths-based, client-centered approach helps people identify existing resources and build on them to manage stress, improve self-esteem, and navigate life changes. Trauma-informed methods are used when addressing trauma, abuse, or post-traumatic stress - these approaches prioritize safety, pacing, and recognition of how past events affect present functioning. Skills-focused coaching and coping strategies teach concrete tools for managing anxiety, cravings, anger, or grief and support practical progress toward personal and career goals.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Nancy collaborates with each person to determine which combination of techniques best fits their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity during life transitions, and access support from different locations, while allowing therapists to tailor session formats to what works best for each client.