- Years in practice
- 11
- Credentials
- LISW
- Licensed in
- Iowa
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Family conflicts
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
About Ann
Ann Ghabel is a licensed independent social worker (LISW) practicing in Iowa with 11 years of therapy experience. She focuses on helping parents and individuals facing stress, anxiety, grief, trauma, and everyday struggles. Her approach aims to make the first step easier and less overwhelming.
She draws on a history of work in psychiatric nursing and teaching, which shaped how she listens and responds to complex emotional needs. That background informs a calm, steady style when conversations turn to trauma, parenting challenges, or compassion fatigue.
Background and approach
She uses practical methods to help people feel more in control of daily life. Sessions are straightforward and person-focused. Ann centers the conversation on what a client wants to change.
She uses Client-Centered techniques to follow each person’s priorities and Cognitive Behavioral tools to identify unhelpful patterns and build new habits. Mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy strategies are woven in to help manage intense feelings. Parents will find a plainspoken collaborator who talks through parenting stress and family tensions.
She also addresses sleep and eating difficulties, coping with life transitions, ADHD concerns, and chronic illness stress. Ann supports people working through grief, separation, and relationship communication problems. Her style is warm and nonjudgmental.
New clients can expect clear explanations, concrete exercises, and help setting small, manageable goals. The aim is steady progress that fits into a busy life.
What Ann works with
Everything Ann lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Ann helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- Grief
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Ann lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Hypnotherapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that guide online care
Ann blends Client-Centered Therapy with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people by focusing on their goals while teaching practical skills. Client-Centered Therapy means the conversation follows what matters most to the client and emphasizes listening and understanding. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at patterns of thought and behavior and offers step-by-step exercises to change them, which is useful for anxiety, mood concerns, and parenting stress.She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques to teach emotion regulation and interpersonal skills when feelings run high. Together these approaches are used collaboratively; the therapist and client decide which tools to try based on the person’s needs, goals, and preferences. That process helps tailor sessions so work feels relevant and doable.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which give different practical benefits. Video calls allow more visual cues and longer work like traditional sessions. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit into a short break. Live chat or text messaging can be good for quick check-ins, skill practice, or when typing feels easier than talking. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy parenting life or to continue work from different places.
Questions people ask about Ann
What kinds of concerns can be addressed in sessions?
Ann works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, parenting challenges, trauma and abuse, depression, grief, sleep and eating problems, anger, self-esteem, and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her therapy style?
She uses a person-centered manner that follows the client’s priorities and pairs that with practical tools from cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and dialectical behavior therapy to manage difficult feelings and changing behaviors.
What relevant experience does she bring?
Ann has 11 years of therapy experience and a long background in inpatient child psychiatry nursing and psychiatric nursing education, which inform her calm and steady approach to complex issues.
Where is she licensed and based?
She practices in Iowa and holds the LISW credential, listed as IA LISW.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.
What session formats are available?
Therapy can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs and routines.
How does pricing work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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