Dorothy Carskadon, LCSW

She goes by Dorrie or Dorothy, whichever a client prefers, and brings a warm, practical approach to counseling. Over a long career she has worked extensively with Veterans and their families and has maintained a steady private practice presence in recent years. She earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - a credential that denotes advanced training in clinical social work and psychotherapy.

Her therapeutic foundation combines positive psychology, cognitive behavioral principles, and attention to emotional literacy to help clients notice strengths, understand how thoughts shape feelings and behavior, and become more fluent in naming and using emotions. She describes her work as resource-oriented and regularly provides handouts, worksheets, articles, videos, and links that clients can review between sessions to practice new skills.

As a clinician who identifies as Christian, she often integrates faith-informed perspectives when clients request that frame of reference, while also offering LGBTQ+ affirmative care. She adapts her methods to each person she sees, with the goal of equipping clients with practical tools to make informed decisions and to pursue a more satisfying, intentional life.

Therapeutic approaches for online care

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy, genuine listening, and collaboration. In this approach the therapist creates a supportive environment where clients can explore values, make decisions, and build self-directed goals - a helpful fit for people navigating life changes, relationship questions, or identity concerns.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on the links between thoughts, emotions, physical reactions, and behaviors. It offers practical strategies to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and develop coping skills for anxiety, depression, stress, and addictive behaviors.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) attends to the experience of emotion and patterns of attachment, especially in relationships. It helps individuals and couples understand emotional responses and reshape interactions to increase closeness and repair distress.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic work. Dorothy collaborates with each person to identify which methods align with their needs, goals, and preferences, and adjusts the plan over time in partnership with the client.

Online sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging offer flexibility for scheduling and access from home or work. Many clients find that remote formats make it easier to maintain continuity of care around busy lives, offer multiple ways to communicate, and support consistent progress with licensed professionals and therapists.