Denise Garner, LISW

Denise Garner is a licensed independent social worker with 25 years of professional experience in Ohio. She focuses on practical help for people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, grief, and major life changes. Denise aims to make the first step toward change feel manageable and supported.

Her approach centers on listening and building trust so people feel safe to talk about difficult thoughts and feelings. She uses clear, goal-oriented methods that help clients identify what they want to change and practical steps to get there. Sessions are collaborative and paced to match each person’s needs.

Denise draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking patterns and try new ways of coping. She also uses client-centered techniques to stay focused on each person’s priorities and Motivational Interviewing to strengthen motivation for change. Solution-focused strategies help keep work on concrete, achievable goals.

She has worked with people facing aging and geriatric questions, caregiver stress, divorce and separation, and hospice or end-of-life concerns. In those situations she emphasizes realistic problem solving and emotional support. Denise helps people break big problems into smaller steps they can manage.

People who prefer straightforward conversation and practical tools often find her style helpful. She encourages small experiments between sessions and checks in on progress. Denise’s work is about steady, understandable steps toward better coping and more confidence.

CBT and collaborative approaches for online care

Denise uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try practical alternatives. CBT often focuses on small experiments and new coping skills for anxiety, depression, and stress. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy to keep sessions focused on what matters most to each person, letting the client's goals guide the work.

Finding the right approach is part of therapy. Denise will work together with each client to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and comfort. That process may mix CBT techniques, motivational interviewing to build determination, and solution-focused steps to reach short-term goals.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to increase flexibility. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and working through exercises. Phone sessions can fit a break at work or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat or text messaging offers quick check-ins and brief support between longer sessions. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while fitting it into a busy life.