Gillian Van Dien, LPC

Gillian Van Dien is a licensed professional counselor with 17 years of experience helping people through stress, anxiety, depression, relationship pain, trauma, and midlife transitions. She focuses on building self-compassion and practical coping skills so people can manage hard feelings and move toward more satisfying days. Her style is calm and collaborative, and she meets clients where they are in life.

Gillian centers sessions on everyday problems and clear steps that make a difference. She helps people notice unhelpful patterns, try small changes, and practice new ways of relating to themselves and others. Conversations often include communication practice, values clarification, and strategies to reduce overwhelming emotions.

She works with adults and teenagers navigating life changes, parenting strain, career stress, grief, and issues around body image and eating. Gillian also supports people coping with chronic illness, caregiver stress, blended family dynamics, and feelings of emptiness that can come with big transitions.

Her approach draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment-based ideas, client-centered listening, cognitive behavioral techniques, and emotionally focused methods. Those tools are used flexibly to fit each person’s goals and pace.

Gillian aims to create a steady, respectful space for honest talk. She partners with clients to set realistic goals, practice new behaviors between sessions, and track small gains over time. Many people come for focused work on communication, commitment worries, or rebuilding purpose at midlife.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then take actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and major life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and trying concrete behavior changes to reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning. It works well for stress, worry, and mood shifts. Attachment-Based Therapy emphasizes how early relationship patterns show up now and helps people develop healthier ways of connecting and communicating with others.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapy process. Gillian treats that choice as collaborative, asking about your goals and preferences and then tailoring methods that fit your needs. She adjusts the pace and tools as you try things and report what helps.

The original biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Therapists can guide practice between meetings, use exercises that work remotely, and help people integrate change into everyday routines.