Dr. Juanita McGowan , LSCSW

Dr. Juanita McGowan is a licensed social worker with four decades of experience. She practices from a strengths-based, faith-sensitive perspective and helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and issues with self-esteem. She also supports those coping with addictions, ADHD concerns, anger, and workplace pressures.

Her approach is warm and goal-focused. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness strategies to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. Motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques shape shorter-term planning and action steps.

Dr. McGowan has worked across many settings as a counselor, life coach, teacher, consultant, and administrator. Her background includes a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas and a Doctor of Philosophy from Kansas State University in Adult and Continuing Education. She holds the Kansas Licensed Specialist Clinical Social Worker credential, LSCSW.

She often helps people handle caregiving stress, chronic illness or pain, aging and geriatric concerns, hospice and end-of-life questions, and the isolation that can come with life transitions. She also assists people wrestling with family problems, communication issues, commitment questions, and finding life purpose.

Dr. McGowan respects cultural differences and includes multicultural concerns and women’s issues among her focus areas. She works with adults and offers services to people in Kansas as well as international clients in English.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Dr. McGowan uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors; CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress. She also incorporates Mindfulness Therapy to teach moment-to-moment awareness and reduce reactivity, which can help with grief, chronic pain, and emotional overwhelm.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. She will listen to your goals and preferences and then suggest which methods to try. That plan is reviewed and adjusted as you move forward so the approach fits your needs and pace.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation, phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat offers quick check-ins, and text messaging can support brief coaching between sessions. These options make it easier to schedule therapy around work, caregiving, or mobility concerns and help keep momentum between appointments.