Dr. Susan Frauenholtz

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, teaching concrete skills for managing anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and coping with life transitions. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathic listening and collaborative goal-setting, creating space for clients to explore feelings and build their own solutions with the therapist’s support. Motivational Interviewing helps clarify a person’s own reasons for change and strengthens commitment when motivation feels uncertain, which can be useful for addictions, caregiver stress, and lifestyle shifts.

Choosing the right approach is usually a collaborative process. The therapist will work together with each client to understand priorities, experiment with strategies, and adjust methods over time so the work aligns with the client’s needs, goals, and preferences rather than following a fixed program.

Online therapy makes these approaches more accessible through flexible formats such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options allow scheduling that fits busy lives and support continuity of care across locations, helping clients practice skills and maintain progress even when in-person visits are not possible.