01 · Who Gerald works with

Gerald works with stress, Anxiety, depression and coping with life changes

Gerald lists 8 specialisms and 13 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Gerald chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Gerald's own words

What Gerald says about the work

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

The information below is my introduction to you, to let you know a little more about me and how I approach counseling.

Hi, my name is Jerry, I have over 30 years counseling experience in the mental health field, I specialize in working with adults who have problems with depression and anxiety and general everyday life concerns and PTSD. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Oklahoma. I believe that counseling is a process that helps you become the person you want to be, not by giving advice but by working together to help you solve your concerns.

I also use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as my preferred choice of treatment. CBT for shorts offers a variety of tools that be can be used to speed up your progress. I usually recommend a book called "Understanding, subtitled, Finding Peace and Serenity in Life and Relationships, this is to help you better understand the principles of CBT If you would like to check this book out it can be found on Amazon.com, it is a very old book but a good book. Please let me know at anytime if you have any questions or concerns about this or anything else.

FYI - Symptoms of depression include: feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness, angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters, loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports, sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much, tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort, reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain, anxiety, agitation or restlessness, slowed thinking, speaking or body movements, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame, trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things, frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide.

Symptoms of anxiety include: common anxiety signs and symptoms include: feeling nervous, restless or tense, having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom, having an increased heart rate, breathing rapidly, experiencing, having difficulty controlling worry, having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety.

I also work with trauma victims who suffer from symptoms of PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event - either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

Most people who go through traumatic events may have temporary difficulty adjusting and coping, but with time and good self-care, they usually get better. If the symptoms get worse, last for months or even years, and interfere with your day-to-day functioning, you may have PTSD.

Symptoms can include all of the following: Symptoms of negative changes in thinking and mood may include: negative thoughts about yourself, other people or the world, hopelessness about the future. Memory problems, including not remembering important aspects of the traumatic event, difficulty maintaining close relationships, feeling detached from family and friend, lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed, difficulty experiencing positive emotions, feeling emotionally numb. Changes in physical and emotional reactions. Symptoms of changes in physical and emotional reactions (also called arousal symptoms) may include: being easily startled or frightened, always being on guard for danger, self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior and overwhelming guilt or shame.

Getting effective treatment after PTSD symptoms develop can be critical to reduce symptoms and improve function. Symptoms can include, Avoidance

Symptoms of avoidance may include: trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event, avoiding places, activities or people that remind you of the traumatic even.

I use a thoroughly researched and proven method of therapy for PTSD that is called Written Exposure Therapy or WET for short. WET can be completed in as little as 5 sessions but may require more session for some people. If you have any of these symptoms and you want to get better faster, WET is one of the recommend treatment methods.

I believe that it is a relationship between two people. It takes courage to seek a more happy and fulfilling life to take the first steps to change. Counseling is about making changes that you want to make. If you are interested in a person that cares about your needs, is respectful and will listen to your needs then I am the counselor that can help you. I look forward to meeting and working with you.

I find some people like to chat, some like to do phone calls and some people like to do video sessions. In order to better understand your needs, could you please let me know how you would like to proceed.

If you would like to schedule a session, please check my calendar and pick an available time slot that works for you, if nothing is available that works for you, let me know as I am flexible will do my best to meet your needs. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to meeting you soon.

Some people like to start off with just chatting others feel more comfortable using the phone or video sessions. I just wanted to let you know, that I will never judge you and that I am here for your needs only, please let me know how I can assist you. When you do decide to take the next step, the following are instructions to help you have a better session.

Here is some useful information. When you come online for your video or phone session and or chat, I will see you and initiate the call all you have to do is to accept it. Better help states that the videos and phone calls work best with Google Chrome, please do a video test before your session to make sure your video and microphone are working correctly. It should be in the help section. If you have any questions just send me a message. This is to ensure a problem free and productive session for you.

FYI, chats can either be completed on your page, and I have 24 hours to respond to each message or you can actually schedule a chat session, just like you would a phone or video session.

Other important information, one important piece of information about this website, I am required to respond to any of your messages within 24 hours, except for weekends and holiday, but as you can see I am also up early in the morning as that is when I tend to answer my messages. Sometimes if it is early and not busy I even answer messages on weekends and sometime on holidays.

I also wanted to let you know that I do schedule some evening sessions, I schedule them Monday through Wednesday. I do not put them on my calendar as I want to save them for people who need them. I currently have open session on Monday through Wednesday at 5:30 and 6:30 EST. Please let me know if you need one of these early evening sessions.

Please let me know also what kind of session you would like, either chat, phone of video and I will be happy to schedule it for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Gerald Winter, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026

03 · How Gerald works

The 2 approaches Gerald lists, in plain English

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

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

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.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Gerald 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 Gerald'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 Gerald at this point.

2. Naming Gerald specifically

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

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 Gerald

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

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred 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 33 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

LPC

Licensed in

Oklahoma

Licence

OK LPC LPC01239

Licence number

LPC01239

Licence expires

30 Jun 2027

NPI

1235345232

Years in practice

33

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Gerald'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 7 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 Gerald. 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.