01 · Who Donald works with

Donald works with addictions, trauma and abuse and stress, Anxiety

Donald lists 11 specialisms and 17 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Donald chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Donald's own words

What Donald says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello all. Thank you reaching out , My name is Donald and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Advanced Addiction Counselor as well as a certified YOGA instructor. I enjoy working with others to achieve a happy values based life. Life happens and sometimes we do need some help to get back on track. Sometimes this is brief intervention other times it is an on-going struggle. Either way I can be there to assist you on your personal journey. I have my own experiences with life issues that I share and draw from to assist others as well as an education from The University of Pittsburgh where i received my masters degree in Social Work. Over time I have developed a rather "laid back" approach to therapy, and some have told me I have a calming influence. My experience includes EMDR ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) nd Motivational interviewing. I am also a huge fan of mindfulness (meditation) which has proven efficacy for many life problems. I draw from my experience with yoga and meditation to assist folks with anxiety/depression, grief, and trauma. I graduated U of Pitt Magna Cum Laude and Golden Key Honor Society as Masters in Social Work and certifications in Drug and Alcohol and Mental Health. I have spent much of my career working with addicts, homeless people, veterans suffering from PTSD and readjustment issues. I have recently retired from the Veterans Administration where i worked with the veterans with a wide range of issues. I have also worked as a therapist in Drug Rehabilitation in patient settings. I look forward to meeting with you to discuss how I may be able to help.

SPECIALTIES: Stress/Anxiety Trauma/abuse Grief Depression Anger Management general life issues (not fitting in..)

My response time is very flexible as I am mostly retired but my preference is early morning, later afternoons or evenings. I can also be available later at night with advance notice/scheduling.

Donald Rindfuss, on the BetterHelp listing · read 8 Nov 2026

03 · How Donald works

The 6 approaches Donald lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Donald lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Donald's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Donald runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Donald practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Donald's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Donald at this point.

2. Naming Donald specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Donald is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Donald.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Donald

Built from what Donald actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Donald's - Donald has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Narrative Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 15 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Pennsylvania

Licence

PA LCSW CW019911

Licence number

CW019911

Licence expires

28 Feb 2027

NPI

1306459532

Years in practice

15

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Donald's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 8 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Donald. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.