I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and have been licensed since 1993; however, I've worked in the field of Social Work since 1986, starting with an undergraduate internship with DSS. My formal experience, however, officially started in 1990 after receiving a Masters in Social Work. I have worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including a state psychiatric hospital in NC, a medical hospital in SC, on a military base in VA and at several outpatient agencies in PA. Due to my husband's job, I have moved to and worked in four states over the past 29 years. I have worked with children with behavioral issues; long-term psychiatric males; hospice patients; children with developmental issues; State and Federal Inmates; Military service men, women, children, couples and families; domestic violence; addictions; and people dealing with grief, anxiety and PTSD.
I continue to attend a variety of seminars to keep my SW License current and have attended many medical, psychological, social work and ethics conferences in order to become more socially & culturally diverse and to enhance my knowledge outside of my typical wheelhouse, which is long-term psychiatric patients; however, I am not currently working in an inpatient setting.
I look forward to learning about my clients' needs and typically operate with "client goals" in mind, using a variety of clinical techniques. I prefer to assess the individual first and then include them in the decision-making for which therapeutic work to engage. If that doesn't work, we move to something else. It's important to build rapport with a client before jumping into therapy. As Stephen Covey would say, "Diagnose before prescribing."
Fun facts about me: I have been teaching for the past 11 years in the Home School network in SC, and have taught many different classes, from Creative Crafting to Egyptology to Basic Sign Language to Creative Writing to The Solar System and a few others (I have many interests). I have also taught Psychology 101 and Sociology 101 at a community college in NC. Lastly, I have published two children's books: "Turtle Gliding" in 2009 and "Why Does God Pull Teeth?" in 2018, with each book being inspired by one of my children.
I respect anyone who has the courage to seek counseling, because none of us can do life without other people and sometimes their help. Therapy is like going to the gym. Sometimes you dread the thought of going, but once you get there, you're glad you went!
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, LGBT, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Anger management, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, ADHD, Blended family issues, Caregiver issues and stress, Communication problems, Control issues, Coping with natural or human-caused disaster, Divorce and separation, Domestic violence, Drug and alcohol addiction, Family problems, Gender dysphoria, Hoarding, Hospice and end-of-life counseling, Infidelity, Isolation / loneliness, Jealousy, Life purpose, Midlife crisis, Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD, Post-traumatic stress, Social anxiety and phobia, Women's issues, Workplace issues, Young adult issues
Clinical approaches: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy
NC LCSW C001100
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Denise Owen. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
So far so good! it’s still early in our sessions but Denise and I are making good progress.
Written on Nov 13, 2024 after therapy with Denise for 2 weeks on issues concerning relationship issues, and coping with life changes
Denise is a gentle, kind and compassionate listener with a great sense of humor (which lends perspective for me). She is thoughtful about gaging how much to let me talk (and get things off my chest) versus her talking and sharing strategies, coping techniques etc. In the middle of me trying to help aging parents through illness, dementia, and care facilities, Denise has been a steadying force walking beside me through the good, the bad, and even the funny. I highly recommend her.
Written on Jan 08, 2024 after therapy with Denise for 1 year and 5 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, grief, and coping with life changes
Denise is kind-hearted, down-to-earth/straightforward, and personable and is really good at being kind to you and helping you treat yourself kindly in functional ways even when you're not feeling very kindly to yourself.
Written on Jun 21, 2023 after therapy with Denise for 7 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, lgbt, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, grief, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, coaching, compassion fatigue, and adhd
A great therapist who doesn’t make it feel like it’s therapy and genuinely cares about her patients
Written on Oct 28, 2022 after therapy with Denise for 3 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, lgbt, and family conflicts
Denise is extremely responsive and supportive. Throughout out sessions she provided different strategies for reframing my mindset. She made me feel affirmed and helped build my confidence during a rough time. Denise helped me focus on my goals and really just helped me move forward.
Written on Oct 27, 2022 after therapy with Denise for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, and self esteem
I have only had one session, but Denise, listen to my story, allowed me to open up, offered suggestions and give me food for thought, great therapist.
Written on Jun 21, 2022 after therapy with Denise for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related issues, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, anger management, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, and a