Denise Stuntzner, LCSW

Denise Stuntzner is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Oregon with over two decades of clinical experience. She returned to direct practice after many years in human services and currently works in a small private practice in rural Oregon. Denise blends practical, hands-on methods with a straightforward style to help people get unstuck and move toward clearer goals.

Denise keeps sessions focused and goal-oriented. She draws on Client-Centered Therapy to shape conversations around what matters most to each person. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help identify thinking and behavior patterns. Solution-Focused techniques guide short-term planning and clear steps forward.

Her background includes work in child and family mental health, domestic violence services, rehabilitation, hospice, medical settings, and child welfare. She spent a decade with the Coquille Indian Tribe supporting health improvement efforts and later provided psychiatric evaluations and inpatient care coordination at a regional hospital.

Denise has also worked in integrated behavioral health at an outpatient medical clinic and served as a field instructor for Portland State University’s Graduate School of Social Work. She is a state-certified clinical supervisor for social workers pursuing their LCSW.

People typically bring concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family problems, grief, caregiver strain, chronic illness, and aging-related issues. Denise aims to help people understand patterns that hold them back and to build practical plans that fit real life.

How Denise Uses Practical Therapies Online

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and shaping sessions around what the person says matters most. It helps people clarify goals and feel heard. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, teaches how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect and offers concrete steps to change unhelpful patterns. CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and coping with life changes.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Denise will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That may mean trying CBT techniques for one concern and more solution-focused planning for another. The plan evolves based on what actually helps.

If you are considering online work, confirm the current session options before booking so you know what formats are available. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when a quick conversation is needed. They also permit using mindfulness exercises and CBT worksheets together during a session to practice new skills in real time.