Courtney Gum

Courtney Gum is a licensed clinical social worker in Maryland with eight years of therapy experience. She helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, depression, ADHD-related focus issues, and major life changes. She aims to make the first step toward change feel manageable and supported.

Her style centers on listening first and tailoring each session to the person in front of her. Conversations focus on practical strategies and small steps that fit into everyday life. She wants clients to leave sessions with clearer next steps and a sense of progress.

Courtney combines client-centered work with evidence-informed techniques. That means she follows the client’s lead while offering tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and emotion-focused work to shift thoughts and patterns. Mindfulness and motivational interviewing ideas are used when they suit a client’s goals.

She has experience guiding people through grief, caregiving stress, chronic illness challenges, blended family dynamics, relationship and communication struggles, and parenting concerns. That background informs how she helps people adjust after major changes such as separation, illness, or shifting family roles.

Sessions are focused, down-to-earth, and paced to each person’s needs. She encourages open talk about what isn’t working and tries to turn overwhelming problems into manageable steps. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions based on the therapist’s availability.

How her approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following the client's priorities. Online sessions let the therapist and client set the agenda together and focus on what feels most important in each meeting.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) breaks larger problems into smaller, changeable thoughts and actions. In an online setting CBT tools can be practiced between sessions and reviewed together, which helps with anxiety, low mood, and concentration problems.

Emotionally-focused work helps people identify and name strong feelings and how those feelings affect relationships. That kind of exploration can be done effectively through conversation and guided exercises during remote sessions.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try techniques, and adjust the plan as needed. Clients are encouraged to give feedback so sessions stay useful and relevant.

Session formats are not listed in the profile, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - sessions can be scheduled around work, caregiving, or medical appointments, and some formats avoid the need for travel. It also supports doing homework between meetings, tracking small changes, and keeping momentum between sessions.