Gretchen Shay, LCSW, LICSW

Licensed in Alabama · 14 years in practice

Gretchen Shay is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, grief, and parenting struggles.

License and registration

LICSW, Alabama: 4865C · expires September 2027
LCSW, Illinois: 149013908 · expires November 2027
NPI: 1962731968 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 14
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Gretchen

Gretchen Shay is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, grief, and parenting struggles. She supports those dealing with relationship wounds, trauma and abuse, eating and body image concerns, and life changes that feel overwhelming. Her approach feels warm and interactive.

Sessions focus on clear goals and practical steps. Conversations are respectful and straightforward, not full of clinical labels. She listens for each person's story and adapts the work to their needs.

Background and approach

Gretchen blends several methods to meet real-world problems. She uses cognitive behavioral ideas to spot unhelpful thoughts and habits. She draws on emotionally focused and client-centered ways of working to help people name feelings and repair connections.

Over 14 years of practice, she has supported people coping with addiction, family conflict, caregiving during illness, and grief. She also addresses abandonment and attachment issues, blended family challenges, co-occurring concerns, and forgiveness work. Her history includes helping people at different stages of medical diagnosis through caregiving and end-of-life transitions.

Gretchen holds licenses as an LCSW and an LICSW in Illinois and Alabama. She offers sessions by video, phone, live chat, and text messaging. The work aims to be collaborative and grounded in what helps each person move forward.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Gretchen lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Addictions
Family conflicts
Eating disorders
Depression
Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse
Grief
Parenting issues
Self esteem
Coping with life changes
Compassion fatigue
Abandonment
Attachment issues
Blended family issues
Body image
Cancer
Co-morbidity
Codependency
Commitment issues
Dependent personality
Divorce and separation
Drug and alcohol addiction
Eating and food-related issues
Family of origin issues
Family problems
Forgiveness
Hoarding
Hospice and end-of-life counseling
Infidelity
Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
Self-harm
Social anxiety and phobia
Trichotillomania
Women's issues
Workplace issues
Young adult issues

Approaches Gretchen names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

How Gretchen’s Approaches Work Online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person's perspective, with the therapist listening deeply and helping you find your own answers. This approach helps when you need support making sense of feelings and decisions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thought and behavior and teaches practical tools to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and change unhelpful habits. Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps people identify and name emotions and repair important relationships by shifting how they respond to each other.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Gretchen will talk with each person about goals and preferences, then suggest methods that fit. That plan can change over time as needs shift, so the process stays collaborative and responsive.

Online therapy offers flexibility for people with busy or complicated schedules. Video calls let you have a fuller face-to-face conversation when that feels most helpful. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or for easier check-ins. Live chat and text-based messaging can be used for brief updates, immediate coping strategies, or when typing helps you express things more easily. These options make it simpler to fit sessions into workdays, caregiving routines, or times when travel is difficult.

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Questions people ask

What concerns does she help with?

She helps people with stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, relationship and family issues, grief, parenting struggles, eating and body image problems, trauma and abuse, and related concerns.

How would you describe her therapy style?

Her style is warm and interactive, focusing on respectful conversation and practical steps rather than labels. Sessions aim to be collaborative and tailored to each person's needs.

What kind of background does she bring?

She has 14 years of experience working as a social worker and therapist with a wide range of concerns, including caregiving during medical diagnoses and grief work.

What credentials and location are listed?

The clinician holds LCSW and LICSW credentials and is licensed in Illinois and Alabama, with practice services listed for Alabama.

Which languages are supported for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

Sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different preferences and schedules.

How does pricing work for sessions?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and is delivered through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What are the steps to begin therapy?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

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