About Wendie
Wendie Vanderwater connects with people who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to begin. She offers straightforward, nonjudgmental support and helps clients decide how they want to approach therapy. Wendie uses practical tools and real conversation to help people make changes that matter to them.
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW, and brings 22 years of clinical experience in Montana. Wendie combines methods to fit each person’s needs.
How Wendie works
She often blends skills training with thought work and mindfulness exercises to address daily struggles. Sessions are collaborative. Wendie asks questions to understand what a person needs and then suggests options, such as working with thought patterns, practicing emotion regulation skills, or adding short homework like journaling.
She checks in about pace and comfort so people stay involved in their plan. Wendie emphasizes practical activity outside sessions. She encourages volunteering, social groups, or hobbies as part of recovery and growth.
Small, consistent steps are framed as part of a larger plan to improve mood, relationships, and daily functioning. Her approach is direct and honest while staying warm and approachable. People who prefer clear tools, mindfulness practice, and a mix of talking and skill-building may find this style helpful.
Wendie focuses on finding what actually works for each person.
Wendie lists 7 ways of working on the entry:
What Wendie works with
The areas below are the ones Wendie selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Coaching
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 22 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Montana |
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
Wendie uses Client-Centered Therapy to prioritize the person’s goals and pace, offering empathy and questions that help clarify what matters most. This approach supports people who want to guide the focus of their sessions and feel heard.She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches concrete strategies to reduce symptoms like anxiety or low mood. CBT is practical and often includes short exercises to do between sessions.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are used to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills can help when feelings are intense or relationships feel difficult.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Wendie will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. She will suggest options, check how they feel, and adjust the plan as progress occurs.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can fit into a busy day with less bandwidth, live chat is useful for quick check-ins, and messaging supports brief ongoing contact or journaling between appointments. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, or caregiving routines while keeping treatment consistent and focused.
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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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