About Gretchen
Gretchen Shay helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, relationship strain, grief, parenting challenges, and trauma or abuse. She also supports those coping with eating concerns, low self-esteem, compassion fatigue, and major life changes. Gretchen Shay is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW and a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker - LICSW with 14 years of experience.
She practices from Alabama and works with adults across a range of life issues.
How Gretchen works
Her style is warm and interactive. She listens without judgment and works alongside people to name problems and set achievable goals. Sessions focus on practical steps and honest conversation rather than labels.
Gretchen draws on several therapy methods to match what each person needs. She uses client-centered work to follow the person’s lead, cognitive behavioral techniques to spot and shift unhelpful thinking and emotionally-focused ideas to strengthen relationships and attachment. Motivational interviewing and narrative approaches help clarify values and rewrite unhelpful stories people tell about themselves.
She has broad experience supporting people through medical diagnoses, caregiving stress, and grief from illness or loss. That background informs how she addresses co-occurring concerns like addiction, codependency, and family of origin issues. Sessions are adapted to the pace and goals of the person in front of her.
Gretchen guides practical problem solving as well as emotional processing. She helps with boundaries, communication, coping skills, and restoring hope after painful experiences. Her aim is to make change feel possible and grounded in real life.
Gretchen lists 6 ways of working on the entry:
What Gretchen works with
The areas below are the ones Gretchen selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Family conflicts
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Parenting issues
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Registers | LCSW, LICSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 14 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Alabama |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Therapeutic approaches and online care that fit your life
Client-centered therapy focuses on the person’s own goals and values. The therapist follows the person’s lead, offers empathy, and helps clarify what matters most in life. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches concrete skills to reduce anxiety, depression, and unhelpful habits.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk about options and tailor methods to each person’s goals, needs, and preferences. That means trying practical exercises, adjusting pace, and switching strategies if something isn’t helping until the right fit emerges.
Online sessions are offered by licensed professionals using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video is useful for regular therapy and face-to-face conversation. Phone sessions can work well when bandwidth is limited or a quieter connection is easier. Live chat and text-based messaging suit shorter check-ins, quick coping support between sessions, or people who prefer typing. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit around work, caregiving, and other commitments.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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