About Gloria
Dr. Gloria Fennell is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Minnesota and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Wisconsin. She has a Ph.D. in Clinical Social Work and two decades of clinical experience.
She draws on a long career in health and social services to help people manage stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and major life changes. Dr. Fennell began as a registered nurse working in trauma before moving into social work.
Background and approach
She earned a Master of Social Work and then a Ph.D., and spent about 20 years teaching social work at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Her background also includes work in schools, community mental health, and independent practice. Her style is collaborative and strengths-based.
She works with clients to pick practical strategies that fit their daily life. She prioritizes building a respectful working relationship and pacing work so people feel ready to try new steps. Common concerns she addresses include anxiety, stress, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting questions, career shifts, and loneliness.
She also works with topics related to aging, caregiver stress, first responder issues, hospice and end-of-life counseling, and seasonal affective disorder. Dr. Fennell uses methods such as acceptance and commitment work, cognitive-behavioral techniques, mindfulness practices, client-centered conversation, and motivational interviewing.
She speaks English and practices from Wisconsin.
Approaches that translate to online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings and then choose actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, stress, and life transitions by focusing on what matters and small steps toward those goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on practical skills to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. It is often used for anxiety and depression and usually involves specific exercises that people can try between sessions. Client-centered therapy emphasizes a supportive, nonjudgmental conversation where the therapist follows the client's lead and helps them find their own solutions.Finding the best approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped in the past. From there she will suggest strategies and adjust them over time so the plan fits the client's needs and day-to-day life.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video calls are close to in-person meetings and allow visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief check-ins, quick coping reminders, or when scheduling around work and caregiving demands.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Addictions
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Parenting issues
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 20 years
- Licensed
- Wisconsin, Minnesota
- Languages
- English
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