Colette Spaulding, LMSW

Colette Spaulding is a licensed master social worker with 15 years of clinical experience. She uses cognitive behavioral therapy alongside other practical approaches to help people address anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. Colette aims to offer calm, straightforward guidance so clients can build skills and find more balance.

She begins sessions by asking what has happened to someone, not what is wrong with them. That perspective shapes a nonjudgmental space where people can tell their stories and be heard. Colette listens for patterns, strengths, and habits that are getting in the way of daily life, then helps clients try concrete strategies to change them.

Colette often blends CBT with client-centered techniques and DBT skills to reduce distress and improve coping. For people who carry the effects of abuse or trauma, she also offers EMDR as one option when appropriate. Her work focuses on practical tools you can use between sessions, such as thought tracking, behavioral experiments, and emotion regulation skills.

She has substantial experience helping people manage stress, relationship problems, grief, parenting strain, and substance-related concerns. Colette also supports clients facing bipolar disorder, ADHD, and compulsive or impulsive behaviors by tailoring plans to daily routines and goals.

Sessions emphasize collaboration and plain language. Colette keeps things flexible and sometimes uses humor to relieve tension. She wants clients to leave with clearer coping steps and a plan for small, achievable change.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Colette regularly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. CBT helps people reduce anxiety and depression by breaking down problems into manageable steps and practicing changes between sessions.

She also uses client-centered therapy, which centers on active listening and building a trusting relationship. This approach helps people feel understood and guides goal-setting that fits their values. Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, supplies concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer communication when feelings run high.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Colette discusses options and tailors methods to each person's goals, needs, and preferences. Therapy is collaborative so techniques are adjusted as progress is made.

Online sessions offer flexibility across several formats: video calls for face-to-face conversation, phone sessions when bandwidth is limited, live chat for quick check-ins, and text-based messaging for short updates or between-session support. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy days, handle shorter or more frequent check-ins, and choose the interaction style that feels most manageable.