About Gary
Gary Ratliff is a licensed independent social worker (LISW) in Ohio with ten years of experience in mental health and addiction care. He focuses on clear, practical help for everyday problems. He aims to treat people with respect, sensitivity, and compassion.
His work often addresses stress and anxiety, depression, anger, trauma and abuse, and struggles with motivation and self-esteem. He also supports people dealing with addictions, grief, sleep problems, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and career questions.
Background and approach
He helps with relationship strains that show up in family life and parenting roles, and with issues such as impulsivity, isolation, and life purpose. Gary draws on approaches that include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and mindfulness practices. In sessions he focuses on practical tools and real-world strategies that fit each person’s life.
He adapts the conversation and plan to match what a client needs right now. Sessions can include skills practice, goal-setting, and short-term strategies to reduce distress. He works collaboratively to build routines and habits that support lasting change.
He encourages gradual steps and tries to make progress feel manageable. Gary offers help in English and provides online formats like video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. He invites people to take the first step toward a better daily life and to reach out when they are ready to begin.
Therapeutic methods and online care
Gary often uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and to clarify personal values that guide daily choices. He also relies on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and to practice alternative thoughts and behaviors that reduce distress.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Gary will discuss what feels most useful and will adjust methods based on a person’s goals, preferences, and how they respond to different strategies. This is a collaborative process aimed at practical progress.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when internet bandwidth is limited. Live chat or text messaging can suit quick check-ins, brief skill practice, or people who prefer typing. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a workday, manage caregiving demands, or keep regular contact without extra travel.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Anger management
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- Ohio
- Languages
- English
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