Denise Owen, LCSW

Denise Owen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who brings decades of experience to her therapeutic practice. She began working in social work in 1986 during an undergraduate internship with the Department of Social Services and completed her formal training with a Master of Social Work in 1990. She has been licensed since 1993 and has served in a range of settings, including a state psychiatric hospital in North Carolina, a medical hospital in South Carolina, an assignment on a military base in Virginia, and several outpatient agencies in Pennsylvania.

Over a multi state career that has followed her family’s moves, she has supported children with behavioral and developmental concerns, long term psychiatric patients, hospice clients, inmates at state and federal facilities, military service members and their families, and people coping with domestic violence, addictions, grief, anxiety and PTSD. While her background includes long term psychiatric care, she is not currently working in inpatient settings. She continues professional development through seminars and conferences to broaden her knowledge and cultural awareness and to maintain her social work license.

Denise approaches therapy with attention to client goals and collaborative planning. She typically assesses each person first and invites them into the decision making about which therapeutic methods to try, changing course if an approach is not working. She values building rapport before moving into focused interventions and often echoes Stephen Covey’s advice to diagnose before prescribing. Outside of clinical work, she has taught in the homeschool network in South Carolina for more than a decade, taught Psychology 101 and Sociology 101 at a community college in North Carolina, and published two children’s books - "Turtle Gliding" (2009) and "Why Does God Pull Teeth?" (2018). Denise respects the courage it takes to seek counseling and frames therapy as a practical, sometimes challenging routine that can yield meaningful change over time.

Approaches and Online Care with Denise Owen

Denise Owen integrates several evidence informed approaches into her online work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps clients clarify personal values and take meaningful action even when difficult thoughts or feelings are present - it is often useful for anxiety, stress, and life transitions. Client Centered Therapy focuses on empathy, respect and creating a supportive space where clients set the pace and goals; this approach can be helpful for relationship, self esteem, and grief issues. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) examines the connections between thoughts, feelings and behavior and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns - it is commonly used for depression, anxiety, and coping with change.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Denise works collaboratively with each person to assess needs, explore options, and adjust methods until a good fit is achieved, respecting individual goals and preferences. She sees treatment as a joint effort between therapist and client.

Online therapy offers flexibility for people balancing work, family and other obligations. Video calls and phone sessions allow for live interaction and deeper conversation, while live chat and text based messaging provide convenient options for shorter check ins, skills practice, or support between sessions. These formats make it easier to access licensed professionals from varied locations and schedules.