Works with
How Gwendolyn works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LPC
- Licensed in
- Alabama
- Years in practice
- 41
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn Downing is a Licensed Professional Counselor with decades of experience helping people navigate stress, anger, anxiety, addiction, grief, and major life changes. She centers conversations on the person in front of her, not labels. Her approach is practical and respectful, aimed at finding ways to reduce distress and build everyday coping skills.
In sessions she tailors methods to what the client needs. She draws on cognitive behavioral tools to change unhelpful thinking and dialectical behavior techniques to manage intense emotions.
Background and approach
Attachment-based and emotionally focused ideas guide work on close relationships and patterns that repeat across time. Downing has worked in public agencies and in independent practice. She has supported people referred by employee assistance programs and family court systems, as well as those who sought help on their own.
That variety has shaped a flexible, realistic style that fits many different problems and life stages. Her work often addresses trauma, substance and behavioral addictions, depression, bipolar concerns, parenting strain, and caregiving stress. She also assists with body image, intimacy challenges, blended family issues, and adjustment after loss or illness.
Sessions emphasize concrete skills along with processing painful experiences. People who choose her can expect steady guidance, direct conversation, and plans that connect to daily life. She values courage and commitment and works collaboratively to set goals and track progress.
Downing practices in Alabama as an LPC and offers sessions in English.
What Gwendolyn works with
Everything Gwendolyn lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Gwendolyn's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Gwendolyn lists
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Gottman Method
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches you can use online
Attachment-Based Therapy helps people understand patterns in close relationships and how early bonds affect current reactions. Work focuses on identifying recurring dynamics and building new ways of connecting that reduce anxiety and conflict.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. It includes practical exercises and homework to test new ways of thinking and behaving that reduce symptoms like anxiety, depression, and anger.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers skills for managing intense emotions, improving distress tolerance, and strengthening emotion regulation. It can be especially useful when strong mood swings or impulsive actions create problems in daily life.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and then recommend methods to try. That decision is collaborative and may change as therapy progresses.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to match different schedules and styles. Video lets people use visual cues and longer conversation. Phone calls can fit a break at work or require less bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging allow brief check-ins, written reflections, and greater flexibility between longer sessions. These options aim to make it easier to keep therapy consistent and to apply skills in everyday life.
Questions people ask about Gwendolyn
What concerns does she address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma, depression, bipolar disorder, anger, grief, and relationship challenges among other issues.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is practical and collaborative, using focused conversation and skill-building to reduce distress and improve daily functioning.
How long has she been practicing?
She brings 41 years of clinical experience, including work in public agencies and many years in independent practice.
What are her credentials and where is she located?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor - LPC - practicing in Alabama.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Can people outside the United States schedule sessions?
International clients are not currently accepted; services are provided to those located where her licensure applies.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How are fees and getting started handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.