01 · Who Dr. works with

Dr. works with stress, Anxiety, grief and self esteem

Dr. lists 10 specialisms and 15 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Dr. chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Dr.'s own words

What Dr. says about the work

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

Dear Client:

I have been a licensed clinical social worker in Kansas for more than 40 years. As an African-American, faith based woman, I am a seasoned professional counselor, life coach, teacher, consultant, and administrator.

Experiencing the journey of life can be challenging and difficult. Finding peace can be overwhelming, therefore, I applaud you for taking the courageous step to seek counseling support. You deserve to live your best life.

If you desire to achieve a healthy state of mindfulness and wellness, it is important to gain insights about how your mind, thoughts and consciousness play a powerful role in helping you see beyond your current issues and struggles. If you desire, I will support you to include your faith within the therapy process.

My counseling style is warm, engaging, positive, but yet focused, and goal oriented. I will encourage you to utilize your strengths and personal resources to help guide your treatment plan. I have worked with a wide range of multicultural clients including, children, adolescents and adults.

I have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas, and a Doctorate of Philosophy degree from Kansas State University in Adult and Continuing Education.

If you are ready to make the commitment and take the time to becoming your best self, I would be delighted to be your counselor.

Remember your future is always beginning now!

Dr. Juanita McGowan

Specialties: Multicultural Counseling Coping with Racism and Prejudice Race and Ethnic Identity Development Faith-Based Counseling Stress and Anxiety Depression Spiritual Wellness Grief and Loss Emotional Management Lifespan Transitions

Clinical Approaches: Motivational Therapy Holistic Counseling Relational Based Therapy Solution Based Brief Therapy

Dr. Juanita McGowan, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Dr. works

The 4 approaches Dr. lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Dr. lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Dr.'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 Dr. runs a session.

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.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Dr. 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 Dr.'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 Dr. at this point.

2. Naming Dr. specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Dr. 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 Dr..

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

2 questions worth asking Dr.

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

• “With 40 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

LSCSW

Licensed in

Kansas

Licence

KS LSCSW 0529

Licence number

0529

Licence expires

28 Feb 2028

NPI

1144828666

Years in practice

40

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Dr.'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 9 Oct 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 Dr.. 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.