Denise Owen , LCSW

Denise Owen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a long career in social work that began with an undergraduate internship at the Department of Social Services in 1986 and continued after earning a Master of Social Work in 1990. Licensed since 1993, she brings decades of experience across inpatient and outpatient settings, including work at a state psychiatric hospital in North Carolina, a medical hospital in South Carolina, a military base in Virginia, and multiple outpatient agencies in Pennsylvania. Over nearly three decades she has lived and worked in four states due to her husband’s job, gaining broad exposure to diverse client needs and systems.

Her clinical background includes work with children who have behavioral or developmental challenges, long-term psychiatric patients, hospice clients, state and federal inmates, military service members and their families, and people facing domestic violence, addictions, grief, anxiety, and PTSD. Although her primary specialty has been long-term psychiatric care, she continues to expand her skills through seminars and conferences in medical, psychological, social work, and ethics topics to enhance cultural and clinical competence. She is not currently working in an inpatient setting.

Denise typically begins by assessing each person’s needs and collaborates with clients to set goals and choose therapeutic methods, shifting approaches if a particular method does not fit. She values building rapport before beginning intensive work and often summarizes this philosophy with the adage “Diagnose before prescribing.” Outside of clinical work she has taught in the homeschool network in South Carolina for more than a decade, has taught Psychology 101 and Sociology 101 at a community college in North Carolina, and has published two children’s books, "Turtle Gliding" (2009) and "Why Does God Pull Teeth?" (2018). As an LCSW - which stands for Licensed Clinical Social Worker - she respects the courage it takes to seek counseling and likens therapy to going to the gym: it can feel difficult at first, but is often rewarding once begun.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Denise Owen integrates evidence-informed approaches to help clients address stress, trauma, relationships, and life transitions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on identifying core values and learning to accept difficult feelings while taking meaningful action - it is often helpful for anxiety, stress, and coping with major life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps clients identify and reshape unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors, which can reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and a range of everyday struggles. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a compassionate, collaborative relationship where the therapist listens closely and supports the client’s own insights and goals.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Denise works collaboratively with clients and with other licensed professionals when appropriate to determine which techniques fit a person’s needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts the plan if something does not feel effective.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, manage caregiving or work commitments, and access therapists from different locations. These options support continuity of care and make it simpler to maintain momentum between sessions.