Deborah Winningham, LISW

Deborah Winningham is an Ohio-licensed social worker with four years of clinical experience. She focuses on practical help for people facing stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship strain. Deborah speaks plainly and encourages clients to use their existing strengths to move forward.

Her approach begins with listening. She treats each person as the expert on their own life and asks simple questions to clarify what matters most. Sessions aim to make small, usable changes that reduce daily strain and improve coping skills.

Deborah draws from a mix of clinically informed methods to match each person’s needs. She uses techniques that address thoughts and behaviors, strengthen close relationships, and build tolerance for strong emotions. Therapy may include problem-solving, skill practice, and steady check-ins on progress.

She also works with concerns around parenting, family conflict, grief, trauma and abuse, and life transitions. Additional focus areas include adoption and foster care, aging and geriatric issues, caregiver stress, veteran and armed forces issues, and first responder concerns.

Sessions are offered in English and are based in Ohio. Deborah encourages people who are nervous about starting therapy to take the first step and complete the short matching questionnaire to find a good fit. She supports clients through honest, straightforward work aimed at realistic change.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts without getting stuck in them and focus on values-based action that matters in daily life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks down problems into thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches concrete skills to change patterns that cause distress. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns shape current bonds and helps people build stronger ways of relating to others.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Deborah will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. That means checking in about what feels useful and adjusting methods over time rather than locking into a single model up front.

The biography does not specify which session formats are offered online, so confirm available options before booking. Many people find online therapy helps fit sessions into busy lives by saving travel time, allowing shorter check-ins when needed, or making it easier to schedule around work and caregiving. Online work can also make regular skill practice more consistent, since sessions are often easier to keep on the calendar than in-person visits.