Acquanita Pettis, LCSW, LISW-CP

Acquanita Pettis is a licensed clinical social worker with 12 years of experience. She holds LCSW and LISW-CP credentials and practices in South Carolina. She helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, and low self-esteem.

Pettis focuses on practical, person-centered work. She listens for how past relationships show up now and looks for small, usable changes that reduce tension. Conversations cover daily triggers, reactions, and ways to communicate needs without escalating. She also supports people navigating identity and discrimination within LGBT contexts.

Her approach draws on several evidence-informed methods. That includes attachment-based ideas about how early relationships shape feelings and patterns, cognitive behavioral techniques to notice and change thinking, and skills from dialectical behavior therapy to manage strong emotions in the moment. Sessions also use client-centered and emotionally-focused principles to explore what matters most to each person.

Pettis pays attention to patterns tied to family of origin, abandonment concerns, and codependency. She works with people dealing with substance use, control issues, and problems around forgiveness, guilt, or shame. Practical communication skills are a recurring focus, especially when anger or resentment strains relationships.

People who choose her often want clear tools as well as space to reflect. She helps identify specific goals, like reducing outbursts or handling others' anger more calmly. The work is collaborative and paced to the client's needs.

How her approaches translate to online work