Dr. Nanci Stafford
MSW, LCSW, LISW-CP, EdD
Owner & Clinical Director, Stafford & Associates Counseling
About Dr. Stafford
Dr. Nanci Stafford is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the founder of Stafford & Associates Counseling in Mooresville, North Carolina. With over four decades of clinical experience, she specializes in helping adults heal from complex trauma, narcissistic and antagonistic relationships, and deep-rooted patterns of self-abandonment and emotional pain.
Her integrative approach combines Schema Therapy, Attachment Theory, Psychodynamic Therapy, DBT, CBT, and Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT), allowing clients to understand how early experiences continue to influence their present-day thoughts, emotions, and relationships.
Dr. Stafford's passion for this work stems from witnessing how childhood invalidation and relational trauma can shape a person's self-concept and attachment style. She believes that lasting healing happens when clients reconnect with their inner self, reclaim agency, and learn to create relationships rooted in safety and authenticity.
Known for her warm but direct therapeutic style, Dr. Stafford helps clients move beyond survival mode and develop insight, boundaries, and emotional regulation. She also supervises and mentors clinicians in advanced schema and trauma frameworks, helping to shape a new generation of relationally attuned therapists.
Whether working with individuals, couples, or clinicians, Dr. Stafford's mission is to help people rediscover their sense of wholeness, rebuild trust in themselves, and live with clarity and confidence.
Areas of Focus
- Complex Trauma & PTSD
- Personality Disorders
- Narcissistic & Antagonistic Relationships
- Betrayal & Relational Trauma
- Schema Therapy & Attachment Patterns
- Couples Intensives
- Self-Abandonment & Emotional Regulation
- Depression & Anxiety
Therapeutic Approach
Dr. Stafford integrates Schema Therapy, Attachment Theory, Psychodynamic work, DBT, CBT, and Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT). Her warm but direct style helps clients move beyond survival mode toward insight, boundaries, and emotional regulation — reconnecting with the inner self and building relationships rooted in safety and authenticity.
- EdD — Doctor of EducationUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2023
- MSW — Master of Social WorkFlorida State University, 1992
- BSW — Bachelor of Social WorkFlorida State University, 1989
- Certified Schema Therapist
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional – Level II (CCTP-II)
- Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapy Professional (CDBT)
- Betrayal Trauma Training with Dr. Ramani
- Good Psychiatric Management — Harvard University
- Certified Personality Disordered Therapist
- Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Certification — Dr. Ramani Durvasula
- Specialty Training in Betrayal Recovery
- Relational Trauma Specialist
- Certified Couples Intensives Facilitator
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)North Carolina — C002930
- Licensed Independent Social Worker, Clinical Practice (LISW-CP)South Carolina — 14762
- In-person & telehealth appointments
- Accepts most major insurance plans
- Mon – Fri: 8:00 am – 6:00 pmSaturday & Sunday by appointment
Complete the brief form to begin — we'll be in touch quickly.