About Gary
Gary Ratliff is a licensed independent social worker with ten years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, trauma, and addiction. He focuses on practical, respectful care and aims to make the first steps toward change feel manageable. He offers straightforward support for common concerns like depression, grief, sleep problems, and low self-esteem.
His approach is collaborative and down-to-earth. He adapts conversations and plans to match each person’s situation instead of using one fixed method.
Background and approach
That might mean learning new coping skills, changing unhelpful thinking patterns, or practicing emotional regulation strategies. Gary draws from multiple research-based methods, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and mindfulness practices. These approaches are used to address issues such as anger, substance use, ADHD, and relationship concerns related to parenting or blended families.
He also supports people facing chronic pain, illness, or major life changes. Sessions often focus on small, concrete steps that build momentum, like improving daily routines, managing impulses, or reducing isolation. Gary values respect, sensitivity, and compassion in the work.
He encourages honest conversation and helps people set clear, realistic goals. The process aims to increase functioning and create more satisfying day-to-day life.
Therapy methods and how they work online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small actions that match those values. It often focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and moving toward meaningful goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful thinking and behavior, which is useful for anxiety, depression, and some phobias. Mindfulness Therapy encourages present-moment awareness and simple practices to reduce reactivity and stress.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Gary will discuss options and try methods that match a person’s needs, goals, and comfort level. That collaborative process makes it easier to adjust plans if something isn’t helping.
Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences. Video is useful when visual cues help the conversation, while phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit a break at work. Live chat or messaging can support brief check-ins, homework, or ongoing encouragement between longer sessions. These options make it easier to keep consistent progress while accommodating daily life.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Anger management
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- Ohio
- Languages
- English
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