- 41 years experience
- Focus on practical steps
- Grief and caregiver support
About Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn Downing, LPC, welcomes people seeking support with grief, stress, anxiety, addiction, and life changes. She focuses on the person in front of her and helps them find steady ways to manage hard moments. Her style is direct and compassionate, aimed at practical steps rather than labels.
With 41 years of experience, she has worked in public agencies and in private practice. Her background includes supporting people referred through self-referral, employee assistance programs, and family court. That work has involved depression, anxiety, trauma and abuse, chemical and process addictions, and a wide range of family and life concerns.
She draws from several therapy methods and adapts them to each person's needs. Techniques include cognitive behavioral work to change unhelpful thinking and dialectical skills to manage big emotions. Attachment-focused and emotionally-focused ideas are used to strengthen relationships and clarify patterns that cause pain.
Her approach also includes trauma-focused tools such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing when appropriate. Sessions emphasize practical tools, coping strategies, and small changes that add up over time. She treats grief and end-of-life concerns as part of the broader work she does with people facing loss and serious illness.
Gwendolyn asks for courage and commitment from those who reach out. She encourages people to notice their strengths, try manageable steps, and build a plan that fits their life. To begin, prospective clients use the site's Start Therapy process and schedule according to availability.
With 41 years of experience, she has worked in public agencies and in private practice. Her background includes supporting people referred through self-referral, employee assistance programs, and family court. That work has involved depression, anxiety, trauma and abuse, chemical and process addictions, and a wide range of family and life concerns.
She draws from several therapy methods and adapts them to each person's needs. Techniques include cognitive behavioral work to change unhelpful thinking and dialectical skills to manage big emotions. Attachment-focused and emotionally-focused ideas are used to strengthen relationships and clarify patterns that cause pain.
Her approach also includes trauma-focused tools such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing when appropriate. Sessions emphasize practical tools, coping strategies, and small changes that add up over time. She treats grief and end-of-life concerns as part of the broader work she does with people facing loss and serious illness.
Gwendolyn asks for courage and commitment from those who reach out. She encourages people to notice their strengths, try manageable steps, and build a plan that fits their life. To begin, prospective clients use the site's Start Therapy process and schedule according to availability.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Relationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHospice and end-of-life counselingInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Attachment-Based TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
41+ years
Credentials
Alabama
Languages
English
How specific approaches guide online work
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns in close relationships and helps people understand how early bonds affect current trust, communication, and emotional needs. It can be useful for those who want clearer ways to connect and to break repeating patterns.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. It offers concrete strategies to test and change unhelpful thinking and to build new habits for mood and anxiety management.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, teaches skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improved communication. Those skills often help when emotions feel overwhelming or when relationships are strained.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has helped or not helped in the past. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as needed.
Confirm the current session options before booking, as specific formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when a quick plan or skill practice is needed. It also makes it possible to continue care during medical treatment or when managing caregiving responsibilities.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and family problems, and related issues such as caregiver stress and chronic illness.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is practical and compassionate, focusing on short-term skills and longer-term patterns. She adapts techniques to each person's needs rather than using a single method.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 41 years of experience, including work in public agencies and 17 years in private practice.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, practicing in Alabama.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What steps start the process?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.