Sheila Sutherland , LICSW

Sheila Sutherland is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LICSW) based in Minnesota who helps people manage stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. She also supports those facing life changes, chronic illness, grief, and concerns related to gender and sexual identity. Her approach is down-to-earth and respectful, aimed at helping people feel steadier and more purposeful.

Sheila uses conversation to get to what matters most to each person. She focuses on what you want to change and builds simple, practical steps to move forward. Sessions are collaborative and paced to match how quickly someone wants to work.

Her background includes five years of professional experience in social work and clinical helping. That experience includes working with mood disorders, panic and bipolar concerns, attention challenges, and compassion fatigue. Sheila also supports people dealing with body image, chronic pain and illness, and relationship patterns that cause repeated strain.

In the room she draws on a mix of thoughtful listening and concrete tools. Techniques may include skills for managing strong emotions, gentle cognitive work to shift unhelpful thinking, and mindfulness practices to reduce anxiety. Sheila adapts what she uses to each person’s needs and preferences.

People seeking help can expect clear goals, practical homework when it helps, and steady encouragement. Sheila aims to create a respectful space where clients can test new ways of coping and build more satisfying daily routines.

Approaches that translate to online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person, helping them feel heard and guiding goals at their pace. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts influence feelings and behaviors and teaches practical exercises to change unhelpful thinking and reduce anxiety or depression. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, offers skills for handling intense emotions, improving distress tolerance, and strengthening relationships, which can be useful for impulsivity, mood swings, and strong anger.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before, then suggest and try methods that fit. That collaborative process is used to adjust the plan over time so sessions stay relevant and useful.

Online therapy makes these approaches accessible through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video works well for face-to-face conversation and skills practice, phone can fit a quick check-in or lower bandwidth needs, and chat or text is helpful for brief updates, written exercises, or when people prefer not to be on camera. These options offer flexibility for fitting therapy into work, caregiving, or health-related limits while keeping the focus on practical, evidence-informed work.