Gretchen Wesche, LICSW

Gretchen Wesche is a licensed clinical social worker with 37 years of experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, and addiction concerns. She also supports work on relationship and intimacy issues and career-related stress.

Her style is straightforward and warm. She listens first to understand each person's situation. Then she helps set small, concrete goals to make daily life more manageable. Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between appointments.

Gretchen draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, client-centered techniques, and mindfulness practices to guide the work. She also uses motivational interviewing and psychodynamic ideas when they fit the goals. These approaches are woven together to match what the person needs in the moment.

Much of her background comes from long practice in Minnesota where she has worked across many life stages. Her LICSW credential stands for Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and reflects her clinical role in the community. She brings experience with family-of-origin issues, caregiver stress, and blended family challenges.

In sessions she addresses a wide range of concerns, including ADHD, compassion fatigue, substance use challenges, and feelings of emptiness or shame. The focus is on building skills, improving communication, and finding workable ways to cope with change. She aims to help people leave therapy with clearer tools and more emotional steadiness.

Approaches that translate well to online work

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life actions. It is often useful for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and anger by giving clear steps to practice between sessions.

Client-centered Therapy centers the conversation on the person's experience. The therapist listens without judgment and reflects what they hear, which helps people feel understood and then move toward clearer goals.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention practices to reduce rumination and improve emotional regulation. It can be paired with CBT to help with stress, grief, and compassion fatigue.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to choose or combine methods based on the client's goals, preferences, and what shows results early on. That teamwork helps shape the pace and focus of sessions.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video lets people use face-to-face conversation when they prefer it. Phone calls are helpful when bandwidth is limited or when someone wants to avoid being on camera. Live chat and text messaging work well for quick check-ins, brief coaching, or ongoing reminders between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or busy days while keeping the focus on progress and practical tools.