Ruth Westfall , LMSW

Ruth Westfall is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) with 30 years of clinical experience. She centers therapy on the person's needs and aims to help women and others facing stress, trauma, anxiety, and life changes. Her approach is straightforward and practical. Sessions focus on building skills that make day-to-day living easier.

Ruth has extensive experience working with trauma and people affected by crime. She has also worked alongside a psychiatric nurse practitioner in a public health setting, which deepened her understanding of long-term stress effects. She sees how emotional strain can affect work, relationships, and health over many years.

In recent years Ruth observed rising rates of anxiety and depression during the pandemic. That experience shaped her interest in supporting emotional, spiritual, and physical self-care. She emphasizes small, manageable steps and skill building. Clients get tools they can use between sessions.

Her practice blends client-centered conversations with techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She also uses mindfulness and motivational interviewing to help people notice patterns and try new responses. Sessions are practical and paced to each person’s needs.

Ruth aims to help people recognize strengths and move toward healing. She assists with parenting strain, caregiver stress, grief, relationship concerns, mood disorders, and issues such as sexual assault and domestic violence. Her approach is calm, direct, and focused on what will help now.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Client-centered therapy focuses on a person's own goals and experiences and creates space for them to lead the conversation. It helps when someone wants understanding, validation, and practical choices for change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and teaches straightforward skills to shift them; it works well for anxiety, depression, panic, and mood problems. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers concrete techniques for managing intense emotions and improving coping skills, which can help with overwhelming stress and anger.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will listen to what matters most and suggest methods that match goals and preferences. That way techniques are chosen together and adjusted over time as needs change.

Online therapy using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging makes sessions more flexible. Video lets people work face to face when convenient. Phone sessions take less bandwidth and can fit during breaks. Live chat and text messaging allow brief check-ins or ongoing written reflection between longer sessions. These options make it easier to keep regular work on skills and supports while fitting therapy into a busy life.