- CBT techniques
- DBT skills
- Attachment focus
About Donna
Donna Ray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in New Jersey with 35 years of experience. She helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, bipolar disorder, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting challenges, ADHD, and anger. Donna works directly with individual adults to address practical problems and emotional pain.
She uses clear, goal-focused conversations to identify patterns that keep problems going. Sessions often include learning specific skills for managing strong feelings and improving communication. Donna draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to shift unhelpful thoughts and on DBT strategies for emotion regulation and distress tolerance.
Attachment-based ideas guide work on relationship patterns and intimacy concerns. Motivational interviewing supports people who want to change behaviors related to substance use or other habits. The therapist-centered approach is client-centered in practice - Donna listens and helps set realistic, step-by-step goals.
Her background includes long experience with caregivers, adoption and foster care topics, aging and geriatric issues, and survivors of domestic violence. She also addresses body image, dissociation, and adjustment after medical events such as cancer.
Practical problem solving matters in sessions. Donna helps people build coping skills for workplace stress, manage anger that affects close relationships, and make plans for navigating life transitions. To start, she asks straightforward questions about current struggles and what the person wants to change.
How her approaches translate to online work
Donna integrates cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy into straightforward online conversations. CBT focuses on spotting and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which helps with anxiety, depression, and anger. DBT teaches concrete emotion regulation and distress-tolerance skills useful when strong feelings feel overwhelming.Attachment-based ideas are also used to look at relationship patterns and intimacy concerns. Those concepts help people understand how past connections affect current reactions and communication. Together these approaches offer skills plus a focus on how relationships shape responses to stress and anger.
Finding the right mix of methods is part of the work. Donna collaborates with each person to choose approaches that match their needs, goals, and preferences. She adjusts strategies over time based on what is most helpful.
Session formats are not listed here; please confirm the current online session options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Licensed professionals can use these formats to focus on skills practice, behavioral experiments, and real-time problem solving without promising a specific setup.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
New Jersey, New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addictions, bipolar disorder, anger, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting concerns, ADHD, and related challenges.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is practical and client-centered, combining skill teaching with conversational problem solving to set clear, achievable goals.
How much experience does she have?
She has 35 years of clinical experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Where is she licensed and based?
She holds LCSW credentials in New York and New Jersey and practices from New Jersey.
Which languages are used in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.