Gordon Pfannenstiel, LCPC

Gordon Pfannenstiel is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) based in Kansas with 15 years of experience. He focuses on helping people who are struggling with relationships, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and major life transitions. Gordon emphasizes building a trusting working relationship and meets people where they are in plain, direct language.

He uses practical, evidence-informed methods including cognitive behavioral therapy and client-centered work to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. Sessions are conversational and goal-oriented, with an emphasis on small, doable steps rather than long lectures.

Gordon also draws on the Gottman Method for relationship topics and mindfulness practices to help with stress, sleep, and emotional regulation. Motivational interviewing is used when people want help finding momentum around change, such as addressing addictions or career shifts.

People who come to Gordon often want to understand what’s driving their mood, stop patterns that cause conflict, or find clearer direction after a big life event. He invites clients to name specific goals and then works alongside them to test practical changes between sessions.

Gordon describes clients as the experts on their own story and aims to highlight their strengths. His approach is steady and collaborative, focused on tangible progress and real-world solutions rather than jargon or one-size-fits-all plans.

How Gordon’s approaches translate to online therapy

Gordon uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT is practical and skills-focused, which often fits well into short assignments and structured work that can be done between online sessions.

He also practices client-centered therapy, which emphasizes listening, empathy, and supporting people to find their own solutions. This approach shapes online sessions to be collaborative and conversational, with the therapist following the client's lead.

Finding the right approach is a shared process. Gordon talks with each person about their goals and preferences and adjusts methods as needed. He aims to match techniques to what the person wants to accomplish, whether that's reducing anxiety, improving relationships, or changing a habit.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face work and exercises, phone sessions can be a good fit when bandwidth is limited, live chat supports shorter check-ins, and messaging is useful for ongoing coaching-style contact. These options make scheduling more flexible and help people fit therapy into busy lives.