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Gary Youssef

Therapist profile

Gary Youssef

Ohio

Experienced practical therapist for men's wellbeing

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  • Practical skill-building
  • Goal-focused sessions
  • Long-term experience

About Gary

Gary Youssef is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 22 years of experience who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, and parenting and family concerns. He focuses on practical steps people can try right away. Gary also supports those coping with trauma, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, ADHD, and life transitions. He works with men on wellbeing concerns among other client needs.

Gary keeps sessions straightforward and goal-focused. He blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Systemic Therapy to match each person’s situation. In sessions he identifies patterns, tests small changes, and builds skills for managing mood, sleep, and behavior. He often sets simple homework to practice between meetings.

Before private practice, Gary spent many years working in outpatient psychiatry at a major children’s hospital and supported service members and their families in a military setting. That background shaped his work with caregivers, school stresses, and blended family dynamics. He draws on that experience when helping people balance roles and day-to-day demands.

Gary aims for clear communication and down-to-earth guidance. He encourages people to name a concrete goal and track progress over time. Sessions are collaborative, with decisions about pace and focus made together.

Outside of work he is a father and enjoys athletics and cooking. He has experience supporting clients with a wide range of concerns including body image, chronic illness, caregiver stress, and coping with adoption and abandonment issues.

How Gary uses therapy approaches online

Gary commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy in plain, practical ways. CBT helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors to reduce anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on clear, achievable goals and the next small steps a person can try to move forward.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide whether to focus on thought and behavior work, goal-driven experiments, or a blend of methods.

Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life. It can reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins during a break, and make scheduling more flexible. The specific session formats available for booking should be confirmed before scheduling so people know what options exist and can pick what best fits their routine.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsParenting issuesDepression

Also works with

AddictionsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHearing impairedHIV / AIDSHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryTrichotillomaniaVisually impairedWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Motivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapySystemic Therapy

Experience

22+ years

Credentials

California, Ohio

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What types of concerns does Gary address?

He supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, grief, parenting and many relationship and family-related issues.

How would you describe his therapeutic style?

His approach is practical and goal-focused, emphasizing small changes and skills people can use between sessions to manage mood, sleep, and behavior.

What kind of experience does he bring?

He has 22 years of clinical work, including years in outpatient psychiatry at a major children’s hospital and experience supporting military families.

Where is he licensed and practicing?

He holds LMFT credentials in California and Ohio and is listed with Ohio as his location of practice.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can people outside the United States book sessions?

He does not accept international clients at this time.

How are fees and payment handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What do I do to begin working with him?

Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

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