Denise Stutes, LISW

Denise Stutes is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) practicing in Iowa. She focuses on straightforward, skills-based work to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, trauma, and other life challenges.

She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with client-centered and emotionally-focused ideas to tailor sessions to each person. Denise aims to help people identify patterns of thought and behavior that get in the way, and then try practical alternatives that fit daily life.

Her background includes community programs, hospitals, domestic violence shelters, and correctional settings. Over five years she has worked directly as a therapist, and before that held roles across the mental health field. That range shapes a practical approach to crisis, grief, and complex stressors.

Sessions tend to be interactive and down-to-earth. Denise describes her style as compassionate and direct, with space for humor when it helps. She encourages people to notice their strengths and use them as a foundation for change.

People can expect clear goals, coping tools, and attention to the realities of home and work life. Denise emphasizes collaboration and empowerment so clients leave with things they can try between meetings.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Denise uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors that reduce distress. CBT often focuses on small experiments and practical steps to change mood and functioning.

She also uses a client-centered stance that prioritizes each person's goals and pace. That means sessions follow what matters most to the individual and build on their strengths. Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps when relationship patterns or strong emotions are central, offering ways to identify feelings and shift long-running interaction cycles.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Denise will discuss options with the client and adjust methods based on needs, goals, and preferences so therapy feels useful and relevant.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is helpful for in-depth conversation and seeing nonverbal cues, phone calls work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat supports shorter check-ins, and messaging allows ongoing reflection between meetings. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to continue work from different locations.