About Charlene
Charlene Thiede is a licensed social worker with 37 years of clinical experience. She holds an LMSW and a LISW and practices in Iowa. Charlene takes a straightforward, person-centered approach and focuses on each person's existing strengths to help them move forward.
She starts by listening to what is happening now. Then she helps people name the changes they want and the small steps to reach them. Sessions are aimed at practical problem solving so people leave feeling more hopeful and able to cope.
Background and approach
Charlene's background includes work as a school social worker and years in clinic- and agency-based behavioral health settings. That experience shaped her way of working with stress, anxiety, grief, parenting strains, addictions, and mood challenges including bipolar symptoms. Her methods include client-centered work, cognitive behavioral techniques, dialectical behavior strategies, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing.
Charlene blends these approaches to match a person's needs instead of using a single rigid method. She also addresses family-of-origin issues, caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, blended family concerns, communication and commitment problems, and coping after loss or major life changes. Her practice pays attention to both immediate coping skills and longer-term goals.
Sessions focus on clear steps, coping tools, and honest conversation. Charlene aims to help people build confidence, improve day-to-day functioning, and find ways to handle ADHD-related challenges alongside other concerns.
Therapeutic approaches and how they work online
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and building on a person's strengths. The therapist follows the person's lead, reflects what is said, and helps identify goals and next steps; this approach helps when someone needs a space to be heard and to set practical goals.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It involves identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and practicing different ways of responding. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and problems with focus and behavior.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches concrete skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships. It includes techniques for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer communication, which can help with anger, mood swings, and impulsive behavior.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That plan can change over time as progress is made or priorities shift.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging, which makes it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules. Video is useful for fuller interaction and nonverbal cues, phone can be simpler when bandwidth is limited, and messaging supports short check-ins or ongoing tracking between sessions. These options help people keep therapy consistent while balancing work, caregiving, and day-to-day life.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intellectual disability
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 37 years
- Licensed
- Michigan, Iowa
- Languages
- English
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