Allen Gholston, LCSW

Allen Gholston is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, trauma, and life changes. Allen practices with respect for all identities and aims to create a nonjudgmental space for people to talk through problems and find workable steps forward.

Allen brings 20 years of experience to conversations about illness, chronic pain, body image, and the emotional strain of caregiving. He also supports people facing discrimination, gender dysphoria, and challenges linked to mood or personality disorders. Sessions focus on what matters most to the person sitting in the room and on practical ways to manage symptoms day to day.

The approach is rooted in client-centered care and is shaped to each person’s needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques are used to spot unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors. Dialectical Behavior Therapy and mindfulness tools can help with emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

Motivational Interviewing helps when someone is unsure about change or wants to address substance use. Psychodynamic ideas are woven in when early relationships or life history help explain current patterns. Allen writes treatment plans in plain language and works with each person to set realistic goals.

People who prefer a straightforward, encouraging style will find sessions that emphasize small, measurable steps. Allen applauds effort and helps people build skills they can use outside the therapy hour. If someone wants to explore next steps, Allen asks a few questions and then suggests a path forward.

How his approaches fit into online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person’s priorities and encourages the therapist to listen and reflect so people feel heard and understood. This approach helps when someone needs a space to sort through feelings and decide what matters most. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and offers practical exercises to try between sessions; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and coping with chronic illness. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills and can help people who struggle with intense emotions or self-destructive patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Allen will collaborate with each person to pick methods that match their goals and preferences, and he adjusts the mix as progress is made. The process is cooperative and paced to the individual rather than fixed from the start.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before scheduling. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It also lets people try techniques in the environments where their challenges occur, so skills can be practiced in real life between meetings.