Prof. John Checkett, LCSW

Prof. John Checkett is a licensed clinical social worker with 11 years of practice. He helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, and challenges tied to identity and sexuality. He also supports people dealing with trauma, caregiving strain, ADHD, and career or life-change worries.

He favors clear, practical conversations. Sessions focus on identifying unhelpful thoughts and patterns, then trying different ways of coping. He uses techniques that help people notice how thinking affects feeling and behavior, and he listens for the personal stories that shape a person's self-image.

John blends cognitive behavioral ideas with client-centered listening and narrative work. That means he pays attention to both how people think in the moment and the life stories that give those thoughts meaning. He also draws on Jungian ideas to explore symbols and deeper themes when that helps a client make sense of their experience.

Before private practice he worked in emergency mental health screening and in the prison system, where he assessed and supported people in high-stress settings. He has academic degrees in social work, communication arts, and women’s studies and has taught at the university level.

People who meet with him can expect straightforward language and a focus on concrete steps. He helps clients set practical goals, try new ways of responding, and track what works so progress is easier to see.

How his approaches translate to online therapy

John uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help people spot and change thoughts and behaviors that contribute to anxiety, depression, or stress. CBT work online often includes setting small experiments, practicing new skills between sessions, and reviewing progress together.

He also uses client-centered methods that prioritize listening and reflecting what matters most to the person. That approach helps build a clear sense of goals and keeps the work grounded in what the client wants to change.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. He will discuss goals, preferences, and practical needs and then recommend ways of working that fit. Clients and the therapist adjust methods over time based on what helps most.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions are useful for full conversations and skill practice. Phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth or background activity is a concern. Live chat and text sessions are useful for short check-ins, messaging between meetings, or when someone prefers typing to talking. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to try different ways of communicating as treatment progresses.