Dr. Donald Strauss

Dr. Donald Strauss brings more than five decades of clinical experience to his work. He holds a Master of Social Work from Florida State University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Social Work from the University of Maryland. He practices in South Carolina and draws on a long career treating people facing long-term mental health challenges and complex life changes.

He often helps people whose lives have been altered by chronic conditions such as neurodegenerative disorders, serious injury, bipolar disorder, and other enduring mental health issues. He also supports helping professionals who are experiencing compassion fatigue. He emphasizes practical steps people can take when familiar ways of coping are no longer helpful.

In sessions he uses evidence-informed methods that focus on problem solving and shifting unhelpful thinking patterns. He blends cognitive behavioral ideas with psychodynamic and attachment-based perspectives to address feelings, relationships, and behavior. Motivational interviewing is part of his approach when people are weighing change.

His style aims to create a steady, respectful working relationship where alternatives to old habits are explored. He lays out specific strategies people can try between sessions and revisits what is or is not working. That hands-on orientation is meant to make change feel manageable.

People come for help with stress, anxiety, grief, intimacy and relationship concerns, addictions, sleep and eating difficulties, parenting strain, attention challenges, and coping with life changes. He works in English and accepts clients from outside the United States for remote arrangements where possible.

How his approaches guide online care

Attachment-based ideas focus on how early relationships shape how people connect and feel close to others; this can help when intimacy, abandonment, or attachment issues cause pain in adult relationships. Client-centered therapy centers the person's experience and priorities, creating space to be heard and helping people set their own goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and behavior and provides concrete techniques to change unhelpful thinking and build new habits.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. He collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and life situation, and adjusts the plan as progress is made. That shared process helps keep therapy relevant and focused on practical change.

The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy day, reduce travel time, or allow shorter check-ins when needed. They also let people continue work with the same therapist when relocation or travel would otherwise interrupt care.