James Rusk

James Rusk is a licensed clinical social worker with 17 years of practice. He helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, career questions, and issues around intimacy and relationships. He also assists those dealing with parenting strains, self-esteem concerns, bipolar disorder, compassion fatigue, and LGBT-related matters.

He favors a conversational, curiosity-led style. James treats clients as partners and uses Narrative perspectives to look at the stories people tell about their lives. He draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Client-Centered methods, Existential ideas, and Mindfulness practices to shape the work.

In sessions he focuses on clarifying values, noticing unhelpful patterns, and building small practical steps that fit daily life. Expect gentle challenge alongside validation, and an emphasis on what matters most to the client rather than a list of shoulds.

James has worked in agency, medical, and private practice settings over nearly two decades. He holds a LICSW and practices from West Virginia. He offers services in English and is open to international clients; please confirm session formats before booking.

To begin, James asks people to reflect on what they want changed and to be willing to explore their story. He aims to make therapy a collaborative process that helps people move toward clearer values, steadier coping, and manageable behavior change.

How his approach adapts to online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take committed action toward those values while learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and treating the client as the expert on their own life to build self-trust and clearer decision making. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns and build coping skills.

Finding the right mix of these approaches is part of the process. The therapist works collaboratively with each person to test what helps - using values work, narrative exploration, mindfulness practice, or cognitive strategies as needed. Goals, preferences, and day-to-day demands guide which methods are emphasized.

Confirm current session options before booking because the biography does not list specific formats. Many people find online therapy helps fit care into busy lives by making sessions easier to schedule, reducing travel time, and allowing shorter check-ins when needed. Online work can also let clients practice mindfulness exercises or behavior experiments in real-life settings and then discuss results in the next session.