About
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting strain
- Anxiety and mood
About Ruth
Ruth Westfall is an LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) based in Michigan with 30 years of clinical experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting concerns, depression, and other mood and relationship difficulties.
She has long experience supporting people who have survived crime-related trauma and those living with the long-term effects of stress. In recent years she worked alongside a psychiatric nurse practitioner at a public health center and saw how trauma and pandemic-related stress affected daily life, work, health, and relationships.
Ruth uses practical skills and in-session conversation to help people manage symptoms. She draws on client-centered methods and structured techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Mindfulness and motivational interviewing are also part of her approach when they fit a person's goals.
Sessions focus on clear, usable strategies for coping, regulating emotions, and improving daily functioning. That can mean learning grounding and breathing tools, changing unhelpful thinking patterns, or practicing different responses to conflict and parenting strain.
She pays attention to caregiver stress, grief, anger, ADHD-related struggles, and issues affecting women and LGBT clients. People looking for support with relationship strain, career stress, or the ongoing impact of past abuse will find these areas listed as common concerns.
To begin, readers are advised to follow the site's process to view online therapy options, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
How sessions work
How Ruth’s approaches translate to online work
Client-centered therapy focuses on the person in the room. It means the therapist listens closely, reflects what is said, and follows the client's priorities. This helps people clarify what matters most and build on strengths.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) targets the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses practical exercises and skill-building to change unhelpful thinking and reduce symptoms of anxiety or depression. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills. Those skills can be useful for strong emotions, panic, and relationship strain.
Ruth will work collaboratively to find the best fit among these approaches based on a person's needs and goals. Choosing an approach is part of the work; she will help evaluate what methods feel most useful and adjust them over time.
The biography does not specify which online session formats are offered, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, shorten travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and make scheduling around work or caregiving responsibilities simpler. Many people find the structure of CBT or the skills focus of DBT translates well to remote sessions, depending on preferences and goals.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
Michigan
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address related to home life?
She lists parenting strain, family conflict, relationship issues, caregiver stress, and grief among her common areas of work.
What is her therapeutic style in sessions?
She uses client-centered conversation alongside cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior techniques, plus mindfulness and motivational interviewing when helpful.
How many years of experience does she have?
She has 30 years of clinical experience working with trauma, stress, and related concerns.
What credential and location does she hold?
She holds an LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) credential and is based in Michigan.
Does she conduct sessions in other languages or accept international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; confirm current session options before booking.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with her services?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.