Denise Thelander , LISW

Denise Thelander is a licensed professional in Iowa with three years of clinical experience supporting adults facing trauma, mood concerns, and life stressors. As an LISW (Licensed Independent Social Worker), she blends practical skill with a trauma-informed lens to help people navigate difficult emotional experiences and everyday challenges.

Her practice emphasizes body-based trauma therapy, a somatic approach that attends to how trauma shows up in the body as well as the mind. Denise works with individuals dealing with special needs, depression, anxiety, anger management, trauma, grief, and stress management, tailoring care to each person’s history and needs.

Clients can expect an approach that acknowledges the interplay of emotions, physical responses, and life circumstances. Denise aims to create a steady, respectful environment where clients can explore coping strategies, process loss, manage distress, and build skills for healthier relationships and daily functioning. Her work focuses on practical tools and compassionate guidance to support recovery and resilience.

Trauma-Informed and Somatic Approaches for Online Care

Denise uses body-based trauma therapy to attend to how traumatic experiences can be held in the body. This approach includes gentle attention to physical sensations, breathing, and movement to help reduce overwhelm and support emotional processing - it can be helpful for people coping with trauma, chronic stress, and related symptoms.

She also practices from a trauma-informed perspective, which means recognizing how past experiences shape reactions and relationships and adapting interventions to prioritize safety, pacing, and client choice. This orientation supports work with grief, anger management, anxiety, and other life challenges.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Denise works with clients to identify goals, preferences, and what feels most effective, adjusting methods over time to fit each person’s needs. Licensed professionals guide this exploration and partner with clients to build skills and resilience.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging make it easier to fit care into busy lives and to access support from different locations. These options allow clients to receive consistent, ongoing treatment while working with therapists who use trauma-informed and somatic-informed techniques.