Rafaela DeSoto-Ray, LPC

Rafaela DeSoto-Ray is a licensed professional counselor in Texas with 25 years of clinical experience. She focuses on practical help for people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, and major life changes. Rafaela aims to give clients small, useful skills each session that can make daily life easier.

Rafaela uses approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, client-centered methods, and solution-focused work to match what a person needs. She listens for each person’s strengths and builds on them rather than starting from a fixed script. Sessions are oriented toward clear goals and doable steps that clients can try between appointments.

Her background includes work with developmental and behavioral disorders, head injury and neurological conditions, dementia, trauma and abuse, and mood concerns such as bipolar disorder. That experience informs a flexible style when someone needs adjustments or different ways to learn skills.

Rafaela emphasizes collaboration. She helps people identify what matters most, then practices strategies together that reduce worry, improve sleep, or ease relationship tension. Progress is tracked in simple ways so people see what’s changing.

She provides care in English and offers sessions in several online formats. Getting started involves a brief questionnaire and scheduling to align time and goals. Rafaela encourages people to take the first step and brings steady, practical support along the way.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and helping a person feel heard. The therapist follows the client’s pace and priorities, offering empathy and reflection to help people understand their own thoughts and feelings. This approach can help with grief, relationship strain, and general life changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. Sessions involve identifying unhelpful thought patterns and practicing concrete skills to change behavior and reduce symptoms like anxiety or sleep problems. CBT works well for stress, depression, anxiety, and many mood concerns.

Solution-Focused Therapy aims for quick, practical changes by identifying goals and small steps toward them. It is useful when someone wants direct strategies for coping, managing time, or improving communication in relationships.

Finding the best approach is a joint effort. Rafaela will talk with each person about their needs, try techniques, and adjust plans based on what helps most. The process is collaborative and goal-oriented so methods can shift as progress is made.

Online formats offer flexibility for fitting therapy into busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for teaching skills and reviewing homework. Phone sessions can be a good choice when bandwidth or camera use is difficult. Live chat and text messaging suit quick check-ins, brief coaching, or ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care and practice new strategies in real time.