- 35 years experience
- Mindfulness and ACT
- Relationship and codependency
About Ruth
Ruth Stoan is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with 35 years of experience helping people move through difficult moments. She encourages taking that first step and brings a steady, practical presence to sessions. Ruth emphasizes partnership - she helps clients notice patterns and then build new habits that match their goals.
Her practice includes support for stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and life transitions. Ruth also works with relationship and intimacy issues, codependency, addictions, caregiving stress, and concerns common in LGBTQ people. She often focuses on questions of identity and purpose, especially as clients face change.
Ruth blends several therapeutic approaches to suit each person. She uses mindfulness, breath work, imagery, and techniques aimed at uncovering limiting beliefs. Sessions involve making a shared plan, practicing new skills, and tracking small steps toward real change.
She has a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has worked in private practice, community agencies, and facility settings. That range informs how she helps people handle grief, family role changes, and addictions with a practical mindset.
Ruth prefers video sessions to help build connection, and also uses phone and text when clients prefer those options. She schedules weekday appointments, some evenings, and can arrange Saturday meetings by request. To begin, readers are invited to follow the simple intake steps on the site.
Therapeutic approaches and how they work online
Ruth uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people notice what matters, accept uncomfortable feelings, and take steps toward a valued life. ACT can be useful for anxiety, depression, and clients wrestling with purpose or difficult choices.She also draws on Client-Centered Therapy, which focuses on creating a supportive space where the client leads the pace and topics. That approach helps people feel heard and understood while they figure out next steps.
Another commonly used method is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. CBT involves practical skill-building to change unhelpful thought patterns and daily routines that keep problems going.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Ruth collaborates with each client to match methods to their goals, needs, and preferences. She may blend approaches and adjust over time as progress and circumstances change.
Confirm current online session options before booking. The biography notes a preference for video sessions and also mentions phone and text as alternatives when clients prefer them. Online care can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins during a workday, or offer a lower-bandwidth option when needed. Licensed professionals can use these options to keep continuity and adapt sessions to what works best for each person.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Credentials
Missouri
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Ruth help with?
She supports people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, life changes, relationship and intimacy issues, and codependency among other concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Ruth takes a collaborative and practical approach, combining mindfulness and skill practice with exploration of deeper patterns that may limit progress.
How long has she been working in counseling?
Ruth brings 35 years of experience in private practice, community agencies, and facility settings to her work.
What credentials and region are listed?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in Missouri and holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English and she is available to work with international clients.
What session formats are available?
Ruth mentions using video sessions as a preference and also offering phone and text when clients prefer those options.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.