Available for Expert Media Quotes
Journalists, podcasters, and content producers: Dr. Velasquez responds to most queries within 3 hours during business hours. A licensed clinician with a rare combination of clinical depth (military Special Operations Forces, emergency-room crisis work, 15+ years of practice) and business context (MBA, Cornell).
Typical response time: Under 3 hours, 8am–6pm CT, Mon–Fri. Urgent same-day requests welcome.
Credentials at a Glance
- Licensed Certified Social Worker (LCSW) — Arkansas, License #9830-C
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) — Arizona, Virginia, Florida
- MSW, Clinical Concentration — University of Southern California
- MBA — Cornell University
- BS Psychology (Honors), Minor in Gerontology — University of Nebraska
- Member, National Association of Social Workers (NASW) — current dues-paid member
- Member, Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA) — verified public profile
- 15+ Years of Clinical Practice — hospital, outpatient, crisis, and military SOF settings
Clinical Experience
- Army, Air Force, Navy Special Operations Forces — Worldwide mental health care, performance enhancement, resilience optimization
- Emergency Room Crisis Mental Health — Triage, safety planning, suicide risk assessment (C-SSRS, ASIST)
- Inpatient, Outpatient, IOP, PHP — Full spectrum of behavioral health settings
- Family Advocacy — Domestic violence, child maltreatment, couples, parenting
- Disaster & Combat Operational Stress — Deployment support, critical incident debriefing
- Integrated Primary Care Behavioral Health — Brief therapy, same-day consultation, warm handoffs
Ready to Schedule Your First Session?
Free 15-minute consultation · Same-week appointments · Most insurance accepted
Expert Topics & Press-Ready Quotes
Direct quotes available for attribution. For extended or custom quotes on any topic below, email media@ziphealthy.com.
Anxiety Disorders
"The most overlooked driver of chronic anxiety isn't the worry itself — it's the behavioral avoidance that follows. Every time someone skips a meeting or declines an invitation to reduce anxiety, the anxiety circuit strengthens, because the brain learns 'that thing was dangerous — we escaped.' The evidence-informed reversal is graded exposure paired with acceptance strategies."
Depression
"Depression is often framed as a sadness problem. It's actually a motivation problem — and the motivation problem is what makes depression self-perpetuating. Clients can articulate what would help them (exercise, socializing, sleep hygiene) but can't activate to do any of it. Behavioral Activation targets that gap directly."
Trauma & PTSD Military SOF Experience
"The single biggest mistake in trauma treatment is treating the symptoms as the problem. The symptoms are the nervous system doing exactly what it evolved to do. Trauma treatment works by updating the nervous system, not by willing the symptoms away. The operators I treated who recovered fastest weren't the ones who toughed it out — they were the ones who engaged evidence-informed therapies early."
Couples & Relationships
"The predictor of divorce isn't how much couples fight — it's what happens during the first three minutes of a conflict. Gottman's research following 3,000+ couples found that couples who express contempt during conflict are 6x more likely to divorce within 6 years. But a 'soft startup' — beginning a complaint with 'I feel…' instead of 'You always…' — flips the trajectory."
Telehealth & Online Therapy
"The debate over telehealth effectiveness is largely settled — 21 randomized trials analyzed in JAMA Network Open (2022) found clinically equivalent outcomes across depression, anxiety, and PTSD, with higher attendance rates for telehealth. The real question isn't modality; it's whether the client will actually attend consistently."
Workplace Stress & Burnout MBA + Clinical
"Burnout is often framed as a personal resilience problem, but the WHO reclassified it in 2019 as an occupational phenomenon — the fix lives in job conditions, not just meditation apps. Meta-analysis shows organizational interventions outperform individual interventions for burnout reduction by roughly 2:1."
Teens & Adolescents
"The biggest shift in adolescent mental health over the past decade isn't severity — it's the acceptance of avoidance as a coping strategy. Teens are taught that 'listening to yourself' means withdrawing from discomfort. Parental accommodation maintains and worsens pediatric anxiety; graded re-engagement reverses it."
Men & Therapy Male Clinician
"Men don't resist therapy itself — they resist the pattern they expect: talking about feelings for an hour, no concrete takeaways, no measurable progress. Reframe the service as structured skill-building with measurable progress and engagement shifts dramatically. The goal isn't dismantling stoicism — it's adding emotional awareness to it."
Insurance & Affordability
"The most expensive mistake people make seeking therapy is not verifying mental health benefits specifically before scheduling. Plans routinely split mental health benefits from medical benefits, with different deductibles, copays, and visit limits. Ask the insurer specifically: 'What are my outpatient mental health benefits?' Use that exact phrasing."
Crisis & Suicide Prevention ER & SOF Experience
"The most damaging myth in suicide prevention is that talking about suicide 'puts the idea in someone's head.' The opposite is true. Meta-analyses show asking directly about suicide is neutral-to-protective. The launch of 988 in 2022 was the biggest shift in US crisis care since the creation of 911 — it accepts both calls and texts, 24/7, confidentially."
As Quoted In
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Publications and media appearances will be listed here as coverage is earned.
Quick-Reference for Journalists
Correct attribution
Stephen Velasquez, LCSW, Founder & Clinical Director, ZipHealthy PLLC. For stories requiring full credentials, use: Stephen Velasquez, MBA, MSW, LCSW.
Interview formats available
- Email-based quote turnaround (under 3 hours during business hours)
- Phone interviews (30 min standard, 15 min short-notice)
- Zoom / Google Meet / Teams video interviews
- On-camera TV interviews (local NWA market; remote for national)
- Podcast guest appearances
Style guide for mentions
- LCSW (not L.C.S.W.) — no periods
- ZipHealthy PLLC (one word, no space)
- Based in Bentonville, Arkansas (Northwest Arkansas / NWA)
- Serving clients across Arkansas via telehealth; in-person in Bentonville
Downloadable assets
High-resolution headshot, full bio, credential verification, and logo available on request via media@ziphealthy.com.
Media Inquiries
For expert commentary, interviews, or quote requests, reach out directly. Responses typically within 3 hours during business hours.
For clinical inquiries (becoming a client, scheduling therapy), please use our contact form or call the number above.