Profile / United States
Gretchen Shay, LCSW, LICSW
Alabama
Licensed clinical social worker - anxiety and addictions
See online therapy options- CBT informed methods
- Motivational interviewing
- Grief and caregiving
About Gretchen
Gretchen Shay, LCSW, LICSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with 14 years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting concerns, and problems with self-esteem and coping with life changes. She also helps with compassion fatigue and a range of family- and identity-related concerns such as attachment, abandonment, blended family issues, and body image.
Her approach is practical and conversational. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) alongside client-centered and emotionally-focused ideas to notice unhelpful thoughts and patterns. Sessions are interactive and goal-focused, with attention to current problems and workable steps to try between meetings.
Gretchen has practice experience with people affected by medical diagnoses and their caregivers, including grief and end-of-life transitions. Her background covers addiction and co-occurring concerns like codependency and substance use difficulties. She describes her work as respectful and non-stigmatizing, aiming to help people reduce distress and make clearer choices.
In a typical process she listens to what matters most, identifies practical strategies, and checks how those strategies are working. She draws on motivational interviewing to support readiness for change and narrative techniques to reframe unhelpful stories about oneself.
Gretchen holds LCSW in Illinois and LICSW in Alabama. Sessions and fees vary by location and use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Prospective clients are asked to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session via the See online therapy options button.
How her approaches are used in online sessions
Gretchen draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and test different responses. CBT work focuses on identifying patterns, trying small behavior changes, and reviewing what helps with symptoms like anxiety or low mood.She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, which prioritizes listening and reflecting so the person’s concerns guide the work. Emotionally-Focused Therapy techniques are used when relationships and attachment concerns are central, helping people name and shift interaction patterns.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. Gretchen collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. She checks in about what’s working and adjusts plans together rather than sticking to a single method.
The biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm the current online session options before booking so you know how meetings will be held. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Therapists can also adapt exercises and between-session tasks to work well at a distance, helping people test new responses in everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
14+ years
Listed in
Alabama, Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address most often?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and family issues, trauma and grief. Additional focus areas include attachment, abandonment, body image, and parenting challenges.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Sessions are interactive and practical. She uses conversational, goal-focused work to identify thoughts and habits to try changing between meetings.
What is her professional background?
Gretchen has 14 years of experience as a social worker and therapist, including work with people facing medical diagnoses and their caregivers through grief and end-of-life transitions.
What credentials and location does she hold?
She holds LCSW in Illinois and LICSW in Alabama and practices from Alabama for clients in that region.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only.
What session formats are available?
The original biography did not specify session formats. Confirm current session options before booking to know which formats are offered.
How are fees handled?
Fees vary with location and use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.