Ruth Stoan , LPC

Ruth Stoan is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with 35 years of experience helping people navigate big life shifts. She focuses on practical steps people can take when stress, grief, anxiety, or relationship struggles feel overwhelming. Ruth often supports women as they move through major transitions and re-evaluate who they want to be.

Ruth draws on a mix of approaches to match each person's needs. She uses acceptance and commitment ideas to help people clarify values and take committed action. Cognitive behavioral techniques are used to spot unhelpful thinking and build more helpful habits. Emotionally-focused and client-centered ideas guide conversations about connection and healing.

Her background includes private practice work on relationships, grief, and life changes, as well as experience in community agencies addressing addictions and caregiver stress. Ruth has a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and holds the LPC credential in Missouri.

Sessions often include simple skills such as mindfulness exercises, breath work, and imagery to manage stress in the moment. She and the client set realistic goals and practice concrete tools between sessions to make steady progress.

Ruth prefers video sessions to get to know a client, but also offers phone calls, live chat, and text-based messaging when that fits better. She aims to be a supportive partner who helps people uncover strengths and shift old patterns so they can move forward.

Approaches that translate well to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people name their values and take small actions toward them even when uncomfortable feelings appear. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and big life transitions by focusing on meaningful goals rather than avoiding hard emotions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It offers concrete tools and exercises that are easy to practice between sessions and work well in video or phone sessions for stress, worry, and mood concerns.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) emphasizes understanding emotional responses in relationships and building stronger connections. This approach can help people address intimacy issues, communication problems, and attachment wounds during conversation-focused sessions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Ruth will collaborate with each person to identify what fits their goals, needs, and preferences. She adjusts methods over time so the plan stays practical and relevant.

Online sessions offer flexibility and convenience. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for deeper connection, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text messaging work well for brief check-ins, coaching-style support, or when a written record of tools is helpful. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life and keep momentum between appointments.