Steven Gares, LPC

Steven Gares is a licensed professional counselor in Texas with 12 years of experience. He helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, eating concerns, depression, and life transitions. He centers the work on the person's story and strengths, and he encourages a practical, step-by-step approach to change.

Steven sees therapy as a collaboration. He listens first to understand what is most urgent, then outlines small, manageable goals. Sessions focus on thoughts and everyday habits that shape how people feel and act. He uses conversations and real-life practice to help people try different ways of coping.

His background includes work with addictions, grief, sleep problems, parenting stress, anger, self-esteem, career shifts, and mood differences such as bipolar. He also addresses relationship and family challenges, blended family issues, body image, codependency, and communication problems. Additional areas he supports are forgiveness, hoarding, hospice and end-of-life concerns, and coping after natural or human-caused disasters.

Steven draws on several approaches to tailor care to each person. He blends client-centered listening with strategies from cognitive behavioral methods and emotionally-focused perspectives. He also incorporates trauma-focused tools and exploration of deeper personal themes when helpful.

If someone is ready to begin, Steven asks a few questions first to match goals and then helps plan the next steps. He encourages small changes that fit everyday life and builds on each person's existing strengths.

How different approaches shape online sessions

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting what matters to the person. It helps people clarify their own goals and feel understood before taking next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and everyday habits affect emotions and behavior; it uses short exercises and homework to test new ways of responding. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused method that works with how distressing memories are held in the body and mind, often helping reduce the intensity of traumatic reactions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the person about needs, goals, and preferences, and then suggest which methods to try. This is a collaborative process and can change as progress is made.

If you are considering online therapy, check the session formats with the therapist before booking since the biography does not list specific options. Online sessions can make fitting therapy into a busy day easier, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. They also let people use tools like worksheets or guided exercises during a session, so practical habit-building can continue between meetings.