Clinical Therapist
Emily Weaver, LCSW
she/her
Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT), including process-based; Strengths-Based; Solution-Focused Therapy; Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT); Mindfulness-based therapies;
Limited Availability
(Weekdays and evenings)
Telehealth only
UPMC commercial, Highmark BC/BS commercial, Cigna, Optum/United, Allegheny County Medical Assistance (CCBH)
$115-150
My Specialties
Reproductive mental health issues (infertility; miscarriage; abortion; medically complex pregnancies and infants; perinatal mood and anxiety disorders; early parenting support)
Reproductive grief and loss
Reproductive Trauma (challenging birth, medical trauma, sexual trauma, intimate partner violence)
LGBTQIA2SP+ support
Neurodivergent support (please note our approach is generally therapeutic/acceptance-based, not coaching)
Adjustment, stress, transitions
Anxiety and mood symptoms
A little more about me
Some fun facts Libraries, city gardening and family trips for ice cream. Get to know me A little less
I can happily spend hours in a good library and am always interested in recommendations for tea or coffee shops. Outside work, I often spend time in my city garden with the kids nearby. Trips to the farmers market and outings for ice cream are family favorites.
What working with me is like Gentle curiosity, honest reflection and respect for your choices. Explore my approach A little less
I work relationally and holistically, with attention to your experiences, relationships, body and wider environment. We can explore beliefs you have inherited, notice whether they still fit and work towards what matters to you now. I bring compassion and reflection, and I may offer a challenge when useful. You remain the authority on your life.
What matters to me Care that considers the person and the systems around them. Read my story A little less
I earned my master’s in social work at the University of Pittsburgh and began counseling in 2014. My experience includes reproductive mental health, neurodivergent support, hospital settings and work with chronic illness. Being a mother also informs my perspective. I continue to learn through training, supervision and the people I work with, recognizing that no two lives are the same.
Open a card to read more, at your own pace.
"We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don't really get solved. They come together, and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It's just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy."
-- Pema ChödrönThe person behind the practice
Emily, in her own words.
A few reflections on what brings me to this work and how I show up in therapy.
Seeing the story behind a behaviour
“I learned firsthand how much you can help someone just through talking to them.”
Emily Weaver, LCSW (she/her)
Read my reflection Close reflection
What originally drew you toward becoming a therapist?
I come from a long line of nurses, and after working as a summer camp counselor in high school, I learned firsthand how much you can help someone just through talking to them. Working at a residential treatment facility in college, I observed how the "problem behaviors" of the kiddos I worked with were related to the traumas they experienced first, and these experiences showed me the value of working on the psychological, familial, and societal level, in addition to the physical.
Looking back while moving towards your values
“a nonjudgmental, soft presence”
Emily Weaver, LCSW (she/her)
Read my reflection Close reflection
People often come to me when…
People often come to me when they need a nonjudgmental, soft presence to explore their current situation, peel back to find it's historical roots, and look forward to move in the direction of their values.
Curious, understanding and willing to challenge
“nonjudgmental, understanding, curious, wise, willing to challenge”
Emily Weaver, LCSW (she/her)
Read my reflection Close reflection
If a client described you after their first few sessions, what would you hope they would say?
nonjudgmental, understanding, curious, wise, willing to challenge
Understanding the world around you
“I lead with curiosity and exploration”
Emily Weaver, LCSW (she/her)
Read my reflection Close reflection
What does socially conscious therapy look like in your actual sessions?
Respectful and ethical therapy means that I have and continue to explore the ways my lived experience have shaped me, as well as continue to learn from my clients (and continuing education), with humility, the ways their identities, environment, and culture, shape them. I lead with curiosity and exploration, and seek ongoing training as well as supervision to better understand the lives and needs of the clients that I serve. As a systems-trained therapist, I am also thoughtful about exploring the ways in which we are shaped by our environment, and helping individuals find more clarity about their own values.