About Deborah
Deborah 'Rachel' Friedman is a licensed independent social worker with 32 years of experience. She helps people who are facing stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, and issues related to LGBT identity. Rachel approaches each person with respect and practical support as they start to make changes.
Rachel believes clients are the experts on their own stories. She draws on a mix of approaches to match what a person needs. Sessions focus on clear goals, small steps, and building on existing strengths.
Background and approach
Her methods include client-centered listening and cognitive behavioral tools. Those approaches help people notice unhelpful thoughts, try new behaviors, and reduce panic or social anxiety symptoms. Rachel also uses mindfulness strategies to ground attention and calm racing thoughts.
For people with trauma or ongoing stress, she uses trauma-focused and solution-focused techniques. These approaches aim to reduce the hold of painful memories and to find practical changes that make daily life easier. Rachel explains options and works at a pace each person finds manageable.
Outside clinical work, Rachel also trains pets and service dogs, including psychiatric service animals. She brings patience and clear coaching to sessions and supports people as they move toward a more satisfying life.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person's perspective. The therapist follows the client's lead, reflects what she hears, and helps people identify their own goals and strengths. This approach is useful for people who want a supportive space to talk through feelings.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. In sessions the therapist helps identify unhelpful thinking patterns and practices new skills to reduce anxiety or panic. CBT can be delivered in short exercises and homework that fit well into video or phone sessions.
Mindfulness therapy teaches simple ways to bring attention to the present moment. Practices include breathing, grounding, and short attention exercises that help lower stress and calm racing thoughts. These techniques are easy to practice during live calls or in between brief chat check-ins.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss options, try strategies together, and adjust based on the client's needs, goals, and preferences. Clients are invited to give feedback so the plan evolves to suit them.
Online formats - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skill practice, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or messaging can provide quick check-ins or short exercises between longer sessions. This variety supports flexibility and consistent progress.
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What this therapist works with
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Also listed
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 32 years
- Licensed
- Ohio
- Languages
- English
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