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James Hoppner
About
I’m James Hoppner, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 15 years of experience helping adults navigate life transitions, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, identity, grief, trauma, and periods of feeling overwhelmed or stuck. I earned my Master of Social Work from Columbia University and am currently based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while maintaining my clinical licensure in New York. What continues to drive me as a therapist is the opportunity to create a space where people can feel understood without judgment, gain greater insight into themselves, and develop practical ways to move forward. I believe therapy should feel human, collaborative, and individualized, with room for honesty, humor, reflection, and meaningful growth.
I was drawn to working with autistic and neurodivergent clients because I value understanding people as individuals rather than expecting them to fit into a single way of thinking, communicating, or moving through the world. Throughout my career, I have seen how often people feel misunderstood, overlooked, or pressured to adapt themselves to environments that were never designed with their needs in mind. I wanted to help create a therapeutic space where clients can feel accepted, understood, and respected without having to mask or minimize who they are. What I find most meaningful about this work is helping people better understand themselves, build confidence, strengthen relationships, navigate challenges, and create lives that feel more authentic and sustainable.
I bring an affirming, strengths-based approach to therapy by starting with who each person is, not with a list of problems to fix. I focus on understanding each client’s individual strengths, values, interests, communication style, lived experiences, and ways of making sense of the world. From there, we work collaboratively to build on what is already working, identify patterns that may be getting in the way, and develop practical strategies that feel authentic rather than forced. I believe growth happens best when people feel respected, understood, and supported rather than judged or pressured to conform. My role is to help clients recognize their own capabilities, strengthen self-understanding and confidence, and create meaningful change in ways that honor who they are.
