- 35 years experience
- LCSW in New Jersey
- Focus on codependency
About Donna
Donna Ray is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in New Jersey with 35 years of experience. She focuses on helping people manage depression, anxiety, trauma, and major life changes in a direct and compassionate way. Her style is approachable and practical, aimed at making conversations feel useful from the first session.
Donna often helps people untangle communication problems, social anxiety, and relationship concerns. She works with those coping with grief, caregiving stress, addiction, and issues around intimacy and self-esteem. Codependency is among the concerns she addresses when it affects a person's wellbeing.
Her clinical approach pulls from several methods to fit each person's needs. She uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationships shape current patterns. She also applies cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and change behaviors in daily life.
Sessions aim to be collaborative and focused on real goals. Clients can expect straightforward strategies, skills practice, and space to tell their story without judgment. The work often moves between problem-solving and deeper reflection based on what a person needs in the moment.
Donna has supported people through parenting challenges, aging and geriatric concerns, adoption and foster care issues, and recovery from domestic violence and substance use. She combines long-term experience with practical tools to help people regain stability and build coping skills.
People interested in meeting with Donna begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a session according to availability.
How Donna’s approaches translate to online therapy
Donna blends attachment-based work and cognitive behavioral strategies when helping people online. Attachment-based ideas focus on how past relationships affect current feelings and interactions, which can help with intimacy-related struggles and communication problems. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thought and behavior, offering practical tools to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and address addictive behaviors.Choosing the right approach is a shared process. Donna works with each person to identify goals and preferences, then adapts techniques across sessions. That collaborative planning lets the work shift between skills practice and deeper exploration as needs change.
Session formats are not listed in the available biography, so please confirm current online options before booking. Many people find remote sessions useful because they can fit therapy into busy schedules, attend from different locations, or use a shorter check-in when time is limited. Online work can make it easier to practice strategies in day-to-day settings and to maintain continuity of care when life gets busy.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Credentials
New Jersey, New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Donna help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting concerns, grief, ADHD, and related areas such as caregiver stress and codependency.
What is her general therapy style?
Donna uses a practical, collaborative approach that mixes listening with skills and strategies. Sessions focus on clear goals and real-life changes.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Donna brings 35 years of professional experience as a therapist working with a wide range of emotional and life issues.
What credentials and region apply to her practice?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in New York and New Jersey, and practices in New Jersey.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are fees and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Donna?
Use the Start Therapy button, fill out a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session 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.