PuttingFamilyFirst

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DD Portrait of Dominique Decoster
Online therapist

Dominique Decoster

Helping parents and individuals find steady steps forward

Credentials
LICSW
Experience
4 years
Licensed in
Massachusetts
Languages
English, Spanish, French
Format
Online sessions

About Dominique

Dominique Decoster is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, depression, grief, sleep and eating problems, and parenting concerns. She uses clear, practical conversation to help clients find steady steps forward. Sessions are offered in English, Spanish, and French.

Dominique holds the LICSW credential and works from Massachusetts. Dominique brings experience from clinical and public service settings. She completed her MSW at Springfield College and completed internships in a correctional facility and a cancer center.

Background and approach

Early work included a three-year role as a therapist in a clinic setting. For the last 15 years she has worked as a social worker in the public defender's office. That role involved providing services to indigent individuals facing criminal charges, sharpening her skills in assessment, advocacy, and practical planning.

In sessions she leans on grounded, evidence-informed methods. She uses tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and try different responses. Mindfulness practices and DBT skills are woven in when they fit the client’s needs.

Her style is straightforward and collaborative. She focuses on small, doable changes rather than big promises. Parents and caregivers often appreciate concrete strategies they can use between sessions.

Dominique explains her LICSW as Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, and she continues to draw on both clinical training and many years of public service. Her background supports practical problem solving and clear planning during therapy.

Approaches that translate to online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person’s perspective. The therapist offers empathy and reflection to help clients clarify what matters and set realistic goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people notice unhelpful thought patterns and try different behaviors to reduce anxiety and improve mood. CBT is practical and often focuses on homework between sessions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, teaches skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships through mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Dominique will collaborate with clients to choose methods that fit their needs, goals, and daily life. She adjusts strategies over time based on what is working and what is not.

Online formats make therapy easier to fit into a busy week. Video calls let people have face-to-face conversations from home, while phone sessions can be a good alternative when video is difficult. Live chat and text-based messaging support shorter check-ins, skill practice, or follow-up between longer sessions. These options offer flexibility so clients can keep continuity of care even when schedules change.

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 issues does Dominique help address?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, grief, eating and sleeping problems, parenting, anger, self esteem, and bipolar concerns, plus a range of related focus areas.
What is her general therapy style?
Sessions are collaborative and practical, with a focus on clear steps clients can try between visits. The approach is conversational and action-oriented rather than academic.
What background does she bring to therapy?
She earned an MSW from Springfield College, completed internships at a correctional facility and a cancer center, worked three years as a clinic therapist, and spent 15 years as a social worker in the public defender's office.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds LICSW licensure with MA LICSW 114319 and practices in Massachusetts.
Which languages are supported in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English, Spanish, and French.
In what formats are sessions offered?
Clients can meet by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps do I take to begin therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Also works with

Experience
4 years
Licensed
Massachusetts
Languages
English, Spanish, French

Next step

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