Sheri Bell-O'Gara , LCSW

Sheri Bell-O'Gara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 29 years of experience. She focuses on helping people with trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and stress. Sheri uses practical therapies and a compassionate, down-to-earth style to help people move forward.

She emphasizes finding the right approach with each person rather than forcing a single method. Sessions blend evidence-based tools like cognitive behavioral strategies with acceptance and mindfulness techniques. Sheri also uses EMDR for trauma-related work when appropriate.

Her background includes work with hospice clients and older adults, and experience supporting people who have returned from combat zones. That history informs her calm, measured approach when people face intense loss, grief, or complicated life changes.

Sheri aims to make sessions approachable and sometimes uses humor to ease tension. She helps people tackle sleep problems, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting stress, anger, low self-esteem, and feelings of isolation. She also addresses caregiver strain, chronic illness, and end-of-life worries.

Sessions may focus on skills for managing anxiety, practical steps to improve sleep, processing traumatic memories, or clarifying life purpose. Sheri works with people to set realistic goals and chooses techniques that fit each person’s needs and preferences.

She offers appointments by video, phone, live chat, or text messaging. Sheri practices in Indiana and provides services in English, and she accepts international clients for online work.

Therapeutic approaches for online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and then take action aligned with personal values. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing small behavior changes to reduce symptoms like anxiety and insomnia. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused method that can help process painful memories and reduce their emotional intensity.

Sheri treats finding the right approach as a collaborative process. She will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as therapy progresses.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video works well when visual cues help the work. Phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for a quick check-in. Chat and text messaging are useful for short exchanges, ongoing support between sessions, or when typing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to fit appointments around work, caregiving, or travel.