- Client-centered care
- Trauma-informed focus
- Practical coping skills
About Deborah
Deborah 'Rachel' Friedman is a licensed independent social worker with 32 years of experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, and LGBT-related concerns. Rachel focuses on practical ways to move forward and supports each person at their own pace.
She believes clients are the experts on their own stories. Sessions emphasize listening first, then working together to find what helps. Rachel draws on Client-Centered Therapy to create a respectful, nonjudgmental space where a person’s goals guide the work.
She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. Mindfulness techniques are offered to reduce reactivity and improve moment-to-moment coping. When trauma is central, she incorporates trauma-focused methods to address symptoms and safety in straightforward steps.
Rachel brings a gentle, practical style to conversations. She encourages small, doable changes and checks in about what is working. Her experience includes helping people manage panic, mood concerns, isolation, and complicated feelings like guilt, shame, or forgiveness.
Outside the therapy room she also trains pets and service dogs, including a focus on psychiatric service animals. That background informs a calm, steady approach to caregiving and recovery. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions according to the clinician's availability.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following a person's goals. Online sessions using this approach keep the person’s priorities front and center and let the therapist respond to what matters most in the moment.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps people notice thoughts and try different behaviors. In an online setting CBT can include brief exercises, homework between sessions, and step-by-step plans to reduce panic, social anxiety, or low mood.
Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus. These techniques are suited to short guided exercises and in-session practice that can be continued between meetings.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to identify what fits their needs, goals, and preferences, and may combine methods over time based on how things are progressing.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into the week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. For people balancing work, caregiving, or medical needs, those practical benefits can help make steady progress.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
32+ years
Listed in
Ohio
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Rachel address?
She supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, and LGBT-related issues, plus related struggles such as panic, social anxiety, and isolation.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style centers on listening first and then collaborating on goals. She emphasizes respect, small practical steps, and skills people can use between sessions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Rachel has worked in the field for 32 years and brings long-term experience supporting people through trauma, grief, mood concerns, and anxiety.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds an LISW credential and is licensed in Ohio.
Are sessions available in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and Rachel accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.