Ann Ghabel, LISW

Ann Ghabel is a licensed independent social worker in Iowa with 11 years of therapy experience. She draws on a long clinical background to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and parenting concerns. Ann aims to create an atmosphere where people can speak openly and feel heard.

Before focusing on outpatient therapy, Ann spent decades working in an inpatient child psychiatry unit and teaching psychiatric nursing. That history informs her practical approach to difficult problems like trauma, family conflict, and caregiver stress. She uses straightforward tools to help people understand what gets in the way of feeling better.

In sessions Ann emphasizes a client-centered style, listening first and tailoring strategies to each person. She uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and DBT skills for emotional regulation when needed. Mindfulness practices and hypnotherapy may also be incorporated to support coping and relaxation.

Ann works with concerns across a wide range, including sleep and eating struggles, anger, self-esteem, ADHD, and life transitions. She also addresses adoption and foster care issues, attachment concerns, chronic illness and disability, and aging and geriatric issues when relevant to the person’s goals.

Her manner is calm and practical, focusing on concrete steps people can take between sessions. Ann supports people who are ready to make changes and offers steady guidance while they build new skills.

How Ann’s approaches translate to online care

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and building a collaborative relationship. The therapist follows the person’s lead, reflects what they say, and helps set goals that feel meaningful. This approach helps with worries, parenting struggles, and life changes.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches people to spot thoughts and behaviors that deepen their distress and to try practical alternatives. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep and eating problems, and managing bipolar symptoms. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers skills for regulating emotion, tolerating distress, and improving communication, which can be helpful for anger, relationship tension, and mood instability.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, try methods that seem promising, and adjust plans based on what helps. This collaborative process aims to match techniques to each person’s needs and preferences.

Confirm the therapist’s current session options before booking, since formats are not specified in the profile. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people practice skills in their everyday routines, which can help transfer what’s learned in sessions into daily life.