Dr. Stephen Gunsallus
Compassionate, experienced counseling with practical tools
LPC South Carolina
- Experience
- 20 years in practice
- Focus areas
- LGBT, Trauma and abuse, Grief
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Stephen
Dr. Stephen Gunsallus brings a client-centered approach grounded in two decades of clinical work and formal training to help people navigate complex emotional concerns.
Background and approach
He draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside other relational and existential methods to address issues such as LGBT matters, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and difficulties with concentration associated with ADHD. His background combines counseling degrees and pastoral training, which inform a respectful, compassionate stance toward each person's story.
Licensed in South Carolina as an LPC, he holds a Doctor of Education in Pastoral Community Counseling, a Master of Arts in Counseling, and a Master of Sacred Theology, and he completed multiple units of Clinical Pastoral Education including residency work.
He has been recognized for community organizing efforts and shapes treatment collaboratively, tailoring dialogue and plans to individual needs. He encourages those taking the first steps toward therapy and frames the work as a partnership aimed at practical progress and personal meaning.
Practical approaches and online therapy options
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to distress; it is often used to help with mood concerns, anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, and difficulties with focus. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a nonjudgmental, empathetic therapeutic relationship where the therapist supports clients in exploring their values and goals to foster self-directed change. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) blends skills training in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness to help people manage intense emotions and improve relationships.
Deciding which approach fits best is part of the work itself. The therapist collaborates with each person to assess needs, preferences, and goals, then adapts interventions so the methods align with what the client finds most helpful and achievable. This process is iterative and responsive to feedback.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into varied schedules and to maintain continuity of care when in-person options are limited. These formats allow licensed professionals to provide ongoing support, skill-building, and problem-solving from a distance while tailoring communication styles and session structures to individual needs.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Licensed
South Carolina
Languages
English