01 · Who Zach works with

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

Zach lists 17 specialisms. Specialisms are the subjects Zach chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Zach's own words

What Zach says about the work

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

I am a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and a substance abuse counselor (SAC) in Wisconsin with over 6 years of experience as a counselor and a case manager. I have worked with clients living with depression and anxiety symptoms, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcohol and other drug use disorders, parenting difficulties, relationship issues, sleep disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). I have extensive experience working with individuals who have experienced homelessness as well as childhood trauma and domestic violence.

My counseling person-centered, meaning I try to focus on being present, empathetic, and compassionate while respecting all my clients and being sensitive to cultural needs. My approach combines person-centered therapy with motivational interviewing techniques as well as solution-focused techniques and cognitive-behavioral therapy tailored specifically to each client's needs. It shows great strength to reach out for help when you feel like you're struggling. Thank you for taking the time to reach out for help through counseling services.

I look forward to working with you!

Zach Bruns, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Zach works

The 4 approaches Zach lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Zach lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Zach'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 Zach 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.

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.

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.

Also listed

• Existential Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Zach 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 Zach'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 Zach at this point.

2. Naming Zach specifically

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

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

3 questions worth asking Zach

Built from what Zach actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Zach's - Zach 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.

• “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

Wisconsin

Licence

WI LPC 5651-125

Licence number

5651-125

Licence expires

28 Feb 2027

NPI

1689015810

Years in practice

8

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Zach'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 Zach. 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.