Nancy Benner, LCSW

Nancy Benner is a licensed clinical social worker with 24 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship struggles. She works with adults facing trauma and abuse, addiction concerns, eating and anger issues, and people coping with major life changes. Nancy focuses on what a person needs now and helps them take practical steps forward.

Her style is warm and person-centered. She starts by listening and understanding each person's story. From there she and the client set clear goals and try approaches that fit the person’s day-to-day life.

Nancy draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. She also uses client-centered methods to create a respectful, collaborative space. For people with intense emotions, elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy can help with emotion regulation and coping skills.

She also integrates relationship work when needed and uses techniques from the Gottman Method to improve communication and problem-solving between partners. Mindfulness practices are offered to build stress management and present-moment awareness.

Nancy has worked in Oregon settings for many years and brings a straightforward, practical tone to sessions. People who want concrete tools and a supportive listener often find this approach helpful. She meets clients where they are and helps them build realistic, achievable steps toward change.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying thought and behavior patterns that contribute to distress and teaching concrete skills to change them. It is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and many daily problems where measurable steps help reduce symptoms.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes an empathic, nonjudgmental relationship. It helps people clarify values and goals while feeling heard and respected, which supports personal growth and better decision making.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, used in part when emotions run high, teaches practical skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving interpersonal effectiveness. These tools can be helpful for intense mood swings and relationship conflict.

Nancy treats choosing an approach as a collaborative process. She will talk with each person about their goals, try methods that fit those aims, and adjust the plan as progress is made. Finding the right mix of strategies is part of the work together.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and skill practice, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and chat or messaging works well for brief check-ins or when written reflection helps. These options make scheduling more flexible and help people fit therapy into busy lives.