About Richard
Richard McGraw is an LCSW who has worked in Missouri for more than 28 years. He has run a independent practice since 1997 and has experience in law enforcement, child protective services, medical social work, and hospice. His background gives him a broad view of common life stresses and how they affect daily functioning.
He takes a warm, interactive approach in sessions. He listens without judgment and treats people with respect and compassion.
Background and approach
Conversations are practical and focused on small, doable steps rather than labels. Richard primarily uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but he adapts the plan to fit each person’s needs. Sessions often involve noticing thought patterns, testing unhelpful beliefs, and trying different behaviors to see what helps.
He explains techniques in plain language and works at a pace that feels manageable. People come to him for a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, stress, depression, trauma, relationship and parenting strains, addiction issues, grief, and challenges with attention or career decisions. He also supports those coping with life transitions, abandonment, blended family stress, caregiving strain, and medical or bereavement issues.
He emphasizes collaboration and practical problem solving. The work focuses on immediate, useful tools along with longer-term changes people want to make. He encourages small steps that build confidence and reduce overwhelm.
How CBT and Online Sessions Work Together
Richard primarily uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing different behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression. CBT sessions often include simple exercises, short at-home practices, and concrete tools you can try between meetings.He adapts CBT to address issues such as stress, trauma reactions, relationship difficulties, parenting strain, and attention concerns. The therapist will work with each person to choose techniques that fit their daily life and goals, adjusting the pace and focus as progress is made.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. He treats therapy as a collaboration and will discuss options based on your needs, goals, and preferences. Together you decide which strategies to try and how to measure small improvements over time.
Online formats - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life. Video lets you have a face-to-face style conversation, phone can work when bandwidth is limited, and messaging is useful for brief check-ins or notes between sessions. Those options give flexibility for shorter check-ins, daytime appointments, or steady support while traveling.
Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns does he help with?
How would you describe his therapy style?
What background does he bring to therapy?
Where is he based and what credential does he hold?
Which languages are supported for sessions?
What session formats are available online?
How are sessions billed and what does cost look like?
How do I begin working with him?
What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Cancer
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Parenting issues
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 28 years
- Licensed
- Missouri
- Languages
- English
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