Ruth Westfall

Ruth Westfall is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) with thirty years of experience in mental health care. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and related life challenges. Her work emphasizes practical skills and steady support for those feeling overwhelmed or isolated.

She developed much of her practice working with trauma survivors and victims of crime. During the COVID-19 pandemic Ruth spent time at a public health center alongside a psychiatric nurse practitioner, which deepened her view of how long-term stress affects many parts of life. She sees how emotional strain can touch physical health, work, school, and relationships.

In sessions she concentrates on teaching coping tools and building on a person’s existing strengths. She uses approaches that help people notice thoughts and behaviors, practice calm awareness, and try small changes that make daily life more manageable. Clients who are dealing with grief, caregiver stress, or isolation may find those practical skills helpful.

Ruth combines straightforward conversation with skills practice. She helps people understand patterns that keep them stuck and offers step-by-step ways to test new responses. Her goal is to help people feel more in control of mood, panic, or chronic worry over time.

Ruth sees people in Michigan and works in English. If you want to explore how therapy might help, she asks clients to begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and then scheduling a time to meet.

How therapeutic approaches fit into online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to each person’s needs. It emphasizes empathy, respect, and helping people find their own solutions, which can be useful for feelings of loneliness or when life changes feel overwhelming.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, actions, and feelings connect. It teaches practical techniques to reduce anxiety, manage panic, and shift unhelpful thought patterns through short exercises and behavioral experiments.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, adds skills for managing strong emotions and improving relationships. It offers clear steps for distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and communication skills that many people find helpful when feeling isolated or reactive.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Ruth will collaborate with each person to decide which methods match their goals and comfort level. That process may include trying a few techniques, tracking what helps, and adjusting plans together.

Confirm current session options before booking to know which formats are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and remove travel time. It also lets people practice skills between sessions in the settings where they live and work, which can speed learning and make progress feel more relevant.