Joanne (Jody) Girou, LMSW

Joanne (Jody) Girou is a licensed master social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, and relationship concerns. She brings 24 years of experience in social work and aims to make sessions calm and down-to-earth. Joanne uses a relaxed, non-judgmental style so people feel comfortable talking about hard things.

Her work focuses on practical ways to cope with everyday problems. She helps people with parenting strain, ADHD and autism-related challenges, grief, trauma and abuse, and intimacy or commitment questions. Joanne also supports people dealing with career stress, self-esteem issues, anger, and life transitions.

Joanne blends several evidence-informed approaches to fit each person’s needs. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness practice, and solution-focused techniques. Sessions emphasize strengths and skill-building rather than labels or blame.

In sessions she listens first, then offers exercises and simple tools people can use between meetings. That can include short behavioral experiments, grounding skills, or values-based steps to try at home. The goal is steady progress people can notice in daily life.

Joanne practiced with children and adults over many years in Michigan settings. She keeps the work practical and personal, helping people find clearer choices when relationships or emotions feel stuck. She welcomes questions and aims to make starting therapy straightforward.

How therapy approaches inform online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice what matters to them and take small, value-based steps. It supports work on anxiety, commitment concerns, and life transitions by clarifying priorities and testing new behaviors. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches concrete tools to change unhelpful patterns. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and coping skills. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers skills for managing strong emotions and improving communication through structured practices like emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Joanne will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match goals, preferences, and day-to-day needs. She adapts techniques over time so sessions stay practical and relevant.

The original biography does not list specific online session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. It also lets people try skill practice in the settings where they live and work, which can help transfer what they learn into everyday routines.