Dr. Stephen Bentley, LPCC

Dr. Stephen Bentley offers straightforward, respectful care for people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, and other hard life changes. He describes therapy as a partnership and focuses on building a practical working relationship from the first session.

He brings 32 years of clinical experience and has served in roles such as director and supervisor of a practice for more than ten years. He has worked in hospitals providing group and individual therapy and has done crisis intervention. That background means he is comfortable with a broad range of issues including trauma, depression, ADHD, and addiction.

His style is person-centered. He begins by listening to what the person needs and by creating a respectful, nonjudgmental space. He emphasizes acceptance as a starting point and avoids stigmatizing labels.

Dr. Bentley uses a mix of approaches to match a person’s needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, attachment-based ideas, client-centered methods, emotionally-focused work, and mindfulness techniques appear in his practice. He draws from psychodynamic and rational-emotive ideas as well when they fit the situation.

He has used telehealth for the past few years and finds it a practical way to keep therapy going for people with busy schedules. He sees taking that first step as an act of courage and offers steady support through change.

How different approaches work in online sessions

Dr. Bentley often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and change patterns of behavior. CBT is practical and goal-focused, and it can help with anxiety, depression, and addictive behaviors. He also draws on Attachment-Based Therapy to look at how early relationships shape current trust and connection issues; this approach can help with intimacy, attachment concerns, and relationship patterns.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with each person about what they want to accomplish and try methods that fit their goals and preferences. Together they review progress and adjust the plan so the work stays useful and relevant.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is helpful for longer sessions that benefit from visual cues, phone can be lower bandwidth and easier to fit into a break, live chat suits quick check-ins, and messaging lets someone send thoughts between sessions. These formats make it easier to keep regular appointments while balancing work, family, and other commitments.