PuttingFamilyFirst

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AG Portrait of Ann Ghabel
Online therapist

Ann Ghabel

Compassionate, experienced social worker focused on families

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Credentials
LISW
Experience
11 years
Licensed in
Iowa
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Ann

Ann Ghabel is a licensed independent social worker who draws on person-centered care to help people facing stress, anxiety, family strain, grief, and parenting challenges. She uses clear, practical conversation and gentle guidance to help clients figure out next steps. Ann aims to make the first step feel manageable for worried parents and caregivers.

Ann brings 11 years of professional therapy experience in addition to a long nursing and teaching background in child psychiatry.

Background and approach

That clinical history shaped how she listens for patterns in relationships and everyday routines. She uses tools that help people notice reactions in the body as well as the mind. Her work includes helping people after trauma and abuse, and supporting those coping with depression, bipolar symptoms, anger, and sleep or eating concerns.

She also addresses caregiver stress, attachment issues, adoption and foster care topics, and challenges that come with aging and chronic illness. Ann names communication problems, blended family issues, and grief as common themes she helps untangle. Ann combines client-centered care with established techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, and integrates hypnotherapy and mindfulness work when useful.

She may offer focused interventions to shift unhelpful thoughts, build coping skills, and calm intense emotional responses. She works with people from Iowa and beyond and offers several online session formats. To begin, she supports clients through a straightforward intake and collaborative planning process.

Therapeutic approaches and online care that support families

Ann blends client-centered therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy in online work. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening without judging and following the client’s concerns. It helps people feel heard and clarify what matters most to them. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at the thoughts and behaviors that lead to stress and teaches practical steps to change them, which can help with anxiety, depression, and sleep or eating issues. Dialectical behavior therapy teaches skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships, useful for anger, mood instability, and communication problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. She works collaboratively to test methods and adjust the plan based on each person’s needs and goals. Clients are invited to give feedback so the pace and tools match their situation and preferences.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options let people fit therapy into busy family schedules and keep continuity of care when travel or distance is a barrier. The variety of formats also makes it easier to choose the style of interaction that feels most comfortable while working toward clearer routines, better coping skills, and improved communication.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she help with?
She addresses a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, family conflict, trauma and abuse, parenting issues, depression, grief, eating and sleeping problems, anger, self-esteem, career concerns, bipolar, and compassion fatigue.
What is her general approach in sessions?
Sessions are grounded in client-centered therapy where the client leads the pace. She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy tools to teach coping skills and change unhelpful thinking patterns.
What relevant background does she bring?
She has 11 years of therapy experience plus many years working and teaching in inpatient child psychiatry as a nurse, which informs her understanding of relational and developmental issues.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds the LISW credential with license number IA LISW 04853 and practices from Iowa.
In which languages can sessions be held and are international clients supported?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging as options for online work.
How does payment work and what do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with a first session?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session based on the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
11 years
Licensed
Iowa
Languages
English

Next step

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