- Years in practice
- 5
- Credentials
- LISW
- Licensed in
- Iowa
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
About Denise
Denise Stutes is a licensed independent social worker who approaches therapy with compassion and directness. She uses straightforward conversations and a bit of humor when appropriate. Denise aims to help people notice their own strengths and take practical steps toward change.
She draws on client-centered work to build a respectful, listening space. Cognitive behavioral ideas are used to identify unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. Emotionally-focused techniques help people name feelings and strengthen emotional understanding.
Background and approach
Denise has five years of experience as a practicing therapist and a longer history in community settings, hospitals, domestic violence shelters, and corrections. That background means she has supported people facing trauma, addiction, grief, and complicated life changes. Sessions tend to be interactive and goal oriented.
She mixes supportive listening with exercises you can use between sessions. The aim is steady progress rather than sudden fixes. Many people come for help with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, parenting questions, and coping with major life shifts.
Denise also works with mood difficulties, grief, compassion fatigue, and problems tied to communication and boundaries. Reaching out is often the hardest step, and Denise focuses on making that step feel manageable. She encourages clients to notice small gains and build on them, with practical tools and ongoing support.
What Denise works with
Everything Denise lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Denise helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Avoidant personality
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-love
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Denise lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Existential Therapy
- 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.
How therapeutic approaches guide online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening without judgment and helping people find their own solutions; it is useful when someone needs a supportive space to talk through parenting challenges or life stress. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and helps people test new ways of thinking and behaving; it can be especially helpful for anxiety, depression, and habit changes.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences, and then recommend techniques to try. That plan can change over time as progress and roadblocks become clearer, and the client helps shape what comes next.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video lets you maintain visual connection for deeper conversation, phone calls can fit into a short break or when bandwidth is limited, and chat or messaging can be useful for quick check-ins and ongoing support. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy family life or varied schedules while working with licensed professionals and therapists who adapt techniques to an online setting.
Questions people ask about Denise
What concerns does Denise commonly help with?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, addictions, parenting issues, anger, self-esteem, career questions, bipolar challenges, and coping with life changes.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is compassionate and direct with interactive conversation and sometimes light humor. Expect listening plus practical steps you can try between sessions.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
Denise has five years as a practicing therapist and prior work in community settings, hospitals, domestic violence shelters, and corrections, which informs her approach to trauma and complex needs.
What are her credentials and where is she located?
She holds an IA LISW, which stands for Licensed Independent Social Worker in Iowa, and she practices in Iowa.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How does the subscription and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire, then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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