Teresa Lewis, LCSW

How specific approaches translate to online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people name what matters to them and take small steps that match those values. In brief, ACT combines mindfulness with practical actions to reduce avoidance and increase meaningful living. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. It is useful for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and many everyday struggles because it breaks problems into doable steps. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an approach for people coping with trauma or intense anxiety; it uses guided processing to reduce the hold of distressing memories and reactions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and then try methods that fit. That collaborative process means plans can shift if something isn’t working, and skills from different approaches are mixed as needed.

Online sessions offer practical benefits. Video calls let therapists and clients use visual cues and worksheets, while phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief updates, skill practice between sessions, and people who prefer written communication. These options increase flexibility for scheduling, allow therapy from different locations within the client’s state, and make it easier to fit care into a busy week.