Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
How Ruth works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LMSW
- Licensed in
- Michigan
- Years in practice
- 30
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Ruth
Ruth Westfall is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) with 30 years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and anger. Her approach is practical and down-to-earth, aimed at helping people feel steadier in daily life.
Ruth draws on client-centered work to build a trusting, respectful connection. She pairs that with cognitive behavioral strategies to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors.
Background and approach
Dialectical behavior therapy skills and mindfulness are used to teach breathing, grounding, and distress-tolerance tools. Ruth has worked in public health settings and has experience supporting survivors of trauma and victims of crime. Over decades of practice she has seen how stress and trauma affect relationships, work, school, and physical health.
That background informs a steady, experienced approach to complicated problems. Sessions are geared toward learning concrete skills and making steady changes. Ruth helps people identify strengths and build on them.
She also supports those coping with caregiver stress, domestic violence impacts, mood disorders, panic, post-traumatic stress, and issues around identity and relationships. People who come for help can expect a calm, practical therapist who listens and offers clear tools. Ruth helps clients set realistic goals and practice skills between sessions.
Her work aims to reduce overwhelm and increase resilience.
What Ruth works with
Everything Ruth lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Ruth's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Domestic violence
- Forgiveness
- Isolation / loneliness
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
Approaches Ruth lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Somatic 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 and how they work online
Ruth often uses client-centered therapy to create an accepting, respectful space where people can talk about what matters most to them. This approach focuses on listening, reflecting, and following the client’s pace to identify what they want to change.She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people notice the thoughts and behaviors that keep them stuck and try small, practical experiments to shift them. CBT is helpful for anxiety, depression, panic, and anger because it breaks problems into concrete steps.
Finding the right approach is a team effort. Ruth will collaborate with each person to decide which techniques fit their needs and goals. Together they will try strategies, check what works, and adjust the plan over time.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and comfort levels. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and skills practice. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a quick check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging let people check in between sessions or use written tools when typing feels best. These options make it easier to build therapy into a busy life.
Questions people ask about Ruth
What concerns does Ruth help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, anger, grief, relationship and family issues, ADHD, bipolar and other mood disorders, and related concerns listed in her profile.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Ruth uses a client-centered approach combined with cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior therapy techniques. Sessions emphasize practical skills, mindfulness, and collaborative problem solving.
How much experience does she have?
She has 30 years of experience working as a therapist in clinical and public health settings, including work with survivors of trauma and victims of crime.
What are her credentials and location?
She holds the LMSW credential, listed as MI LMSW, and practices from Michigan.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients accepted?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Ruth offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexible ways to connect.
How do costs and scheduling work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To start, use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.