About Clarence
Clarence McCray is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress and anxiety. He also supports those coping with grief, anger, depression, and major life changes. His approach is straightforward and respectful, aimed at helping people feel steadier and more able to handle day-to-day challenges.
Clarence adapts conversation and goals to each person's needs. He listens first, then works with clients to set small, practical steps. Sessions focus on skills you can use between meetings, such as thought strategies and breathing or grounding practices.
Background and approach
He uses methods from client-centered work and cognitive behavioral practice to explore how thoughts, feelings, and actions interact. Mindfulness techniques are offered to help manage nervous energy and reactivity. Solution-focused tools are used when people want clear, short-term goals and quick ways to try new behaviors.
With four years of experience as an LCSW - licensed clinical social worker - Clarence draws on straightforward skills rather than jargon. He treats people with respect and sensitivity and does not push one fixed plan on everyone. Instead he tailors sessions to the person in front of him.
People who come to Clarence often want relief from anxiety, help with grief, or better ways to handle anger and depression. He emphasizes practical changes, clearer communication, and building self-compassion so people can move toward a more satisfying day-to-day life.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Client-centered work focuses on listening and building a respectful relationship. The therapist follows the client's lead and helps them identify what matters most, which can make remote sessions feel collaborative and focused. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts and behaviors interact and adds practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns; it works well online with written worksheets and between-session practice.Finding the right approach is part of the process. Clarence will talk with each person about goals and preferences and then try methods that fit those needs. That collaborative planning means techniques can be adjusted over time as someone notices what helps most.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, so people can pick what suits their routine. Video lets for face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or when a shorter check-in is wanted. Live chat and text messaging make it easier to share thoughts between meetings and to get quick support without scheduling a full call. These options help therapy fit into busy lives and varying comfort levels.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Anger management
Also listed
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 4 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English
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