Skip Dettman , LCSW

Skip Dettman is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, and relationship strain. She focuses on practical steps people can use right away and listens for what matters most to each person.

She works with concerns such as trauma and abuse, addictions, self-esteem, grief, parenting strain, and LGBT-related issues. Skip pays attention to family of origin problems, blended family stress, and the fallout from abandonment or domestic violence. Her practice also addresses mood concerns and personality-related struggles when those are part of the picture.

Skip uses straightforward methods in sessions. She draws on client-centered work to follow each person's priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps her guide people toward changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also uses Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills and EMDR when those fit a client's needs.

Sessions are practical and collaborative. Skip aims to help people build coping skills, increase emotional awareness, and repair important relationships. She frames goals in everyday terms so progress can be noticed between sessions.

Skip holds a Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential, with licenses in Illinois and Florida. She has practiced for 13 years and offers sessions online by video, phone, chat, or messaging. All sessions are offered in English and geared toward people located in Illinois.

Therapeutic approaches adapted for online care

Skip uses client-centered work to follow each person's priorities and build trust. That approach focuses on listening and reflecting so the client steers the pace and topics in sessions. It helps people who want a therapist to respond to what feels most urgent in their life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts and actions keep problems going and teaches practical exercises to change them. CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, and stress because it gives clear steps to try between sessions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills. DBT can help when emotions feel overwhelming or relationships are strained.

Choosing the best approach is a shared process. The therapist will discuss goals, past efforts, and personal preferences and then recommend approaches to try. That collaborative planning can be adjusted as progress is made.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video mirrors an in-person conversation when you want face-to-face interaction. Phone sessions can be a good fit when bandwidth is limited or a quieter voice check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging work for brief check-ins, quick skill practice, or when writing feels easier than speaking. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life.