Denise Stutes

Denise Stutes is a licensed independent social worker (LISW) practicing in Iowa. She brings five years of direct therapy experience and more than two decades in the mental health field. Denise aims to create a calm, straightforward space where people can feel seen and begin to make changes.

She has worked in community programs, hospitals, domestic violence shelters, and corrections. That range has exposed her to many difficult life situations, including severe physical and mental trauma. Denise says she enjoys watching people grow and gain confidence as they move through hard times.

Her counseling style is compassionate and direct. Sessions are interactive, and she sometimes uses humor to ease tense moments. She focuses on helping people identify their strengths so they can build on what already works.

Denise blends Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness practices, emotionally-focused ideas, and existential perspectives. Those approaches are used to address stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, relationship concerns, grief, and issues related to self-esteem and career changes.

She also works with concerns such as codependency, caregiver stress, communication problems, abandonment issues, and domestic violence. The profile notes Intellectual disability among areas of focus; when relevant, Denise aims to tailor support to each person’s needs. To begin, visitors follow the site’s Start Therapy flow to match and schedule sessions.

Therapeutic approaches used in online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding each person’s perspective and building on their strengths. It aims to help people feel heard and to guide them toward their own solutions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviors are connected and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people understand and work with strong emotions to improve how they relate to themselves and others. It can be useful for relationship pain, grief, and emotional wounds.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Denise will work with each person to figure out what fits their goals and preferences, and she adjusts methods as progress is made.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm the current session options before booking so you know what formats are available. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight, and make attending from different locations more practical. Licensed professionals can adapt these approaches to work well in remote formats, and Denise aims to match methods to each person’s needs and routines.