Richard Banton, LCSW

Richard Banton is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 25 years of experience. He practices in New Mexico and focuses on helping people reduce stress and anxiety, work through trauma and abuse, and find steadier footing during life changes.

He uses approaches rooted in cognitive behavioral ideas alongside acceptance and mindfulness-based work. His style centers on helping people notice how thoughts shape moment-to-moment experience. That awareness is used to change unhelpful patterns and to build more manageable responses to difficult feelings.

Richard frames work from a mental wellness perspective rather than solely a mental illness model. He invites people who want a different view of themselves to consider they are not broken or defective. Sessions explore practical ways to shift thinking that fuels distress and to strengthen what already works.

Common areas he addresses include depression, anger, grief, relationship concerns, addictions, sleep and eating problems, self-esteem, and parenting-related strain. He also supports people with ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, caregiver stress, and chronic pain or illness challenges.

Over a long career he has blended client-centered listening with tools from CBT, ACT, DBT, and emotionally-focused work. People who seek him out often want concrete techniques they can use between sessions and straightforward conversation during meetings.

Richard offers collaborative, goal-oriented sessions that emphasize practical steps. He works with people who want to build calmer habits of thinking and clearer ways to handle life’s demands.

Using CBT and Acceptance-Based Work Online

Richard often uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help people identify and change the thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. CBT offers step-by-step techniques for anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and many everyday struggles.

He also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which helps people accept difficult feelings while committing to actions that reflect their values. ACT is useful when someone wants to stop fighting feelings and start living more consistently with what matters to them.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences, then try strategies that fit those needs. This is a collaborative process and plans are adjusted as progress becomes clear.

Online sessions offer practical flexibility. Video calls let people use visual cues and full conversations. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a quicker check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for shorter updates, between-session coaching, or times when typing feels easier than talking.

These options let people build therapy into busy schedules, reach a licensed professional from different locations, and try different formats to see what supports their progress best.