Raymond Butts, LPC

Raymond Butts is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC) with 30 years of combined experience in counseling and education. He earned a Master of Education in Counselor Education from the University of Arkansas in 1989 and began his career as an elementary special education teacher in the early 1980s. Raymond first went to Alaska in 1989 as a long-term substitute teacher and went on to spend 11 years in the Bering Strait School District in Unalakleet, serving as a teacher, itinerant school counselor, and village school principal.

After work in two additional school districts, he retired from Alaska in 2004 and returned to Arkansas to work as a kindergarten counselor in a center that served 180 children and 18 teachers, then fully retired in 2007. In 2009 he began work as a military and family life counselor and provided that service for a decade. His professional training includes Client-Centered Therapy, and he also has specialized training in crisis and trauma-informed approaches.

Raymond’s style emphasizes helping the client lead the process rather than directing outcomes, drawing on both his training and his personal approach to support people through stress, anxiety, trauma, relationship concerns, grief, addictions, and other life challenges. He aims to be an effective therapist who adapts methods to each person’s needs, and he has provided more than five years of online counseling support as part of his practice.

Approaches for Online Support and Trauma-Informed Care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on creating an accepting, nonjudgmental space where the client guides the pace and goals of work; this approach helps people build self-awareness, confidence, and self-directed solutions for issues such as low self-esteem, relationship concerns, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a practical, skills-based approach that helps clients identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors; it is often useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and coping with everyday challenges. Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on understanding and processing traumatic experiences with techniques tailored to reduce distress and improve daily functioning following abuse, disasters, or other overwhelming events.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is a collaborative process. Raymond works with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences and then tailors methods - sometimes combining approaches - so the plan fits the individual rather than forcing a single model. Clients are invited to provide feedback and help shape the course of work.

Online sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging offer practical flexibility for people with busy schedules, mobility limits, or geographic distance. These options make it possible to maintain regular contact, practice new skills between meetings, and access licensed professionals from locations that suit the client, supporting continuity and consistency in care.