Dr. Donald Strauss , MD, LCSW-C, LISW

Dr. Donald Strauss brings decades of clinical experience to work with individuals and families facing a wide range of mental health and life challenges. He has concentrated recent practice on caring for people with deteriorative neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS and MS, survivors of life-altering burns, bipolar disorder, and chronic mental health conditions, and he has significant experience supporting helping professionals who are dealing with compassion fatigue. He combines medical and social work training to address complex presentations with practical, evidence-informed strategies.

Dr. Strauss holds an MSW - Master of Social Work - from Florida State University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Social Work from the University of Maryland. He is a member of the Academy of Clinical Social Work (ACSW) and is a Board Certified Diplomat in Social Work (BCD). His listed credentials include MD, LCSW-C, and LISW; these reflect medical and licensed social work qualifications that inform his approach to assessment and treatment.

His clinical work emphasizes behavioral health interventions guided by evidence-based findings and cognitive behavioral methods that help clients replace unhelpful patterns with new problem-solving and coping strategies. He also integrates attachment-based and client-centered perspectives along with psychodynamic insights and motivational techniques when appropriate. Dr. Strauss works with a broad array of concerns including stress, anxiety, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, addictions, trauma and abuse, eating and sleeping problems, parenting and family difficulties, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes. He frames therapy as a helping relationship in which practical alternatives and new cognitive approaches are developed to guide thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Approaches That Guide Online Care with Dr. Strauss

Dr. Strauss integrates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, a practical approach useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and many day-to-day coping difficulties. He also uses attachment-based therapy to explore how early relationship patterns influence current intimacy, communication, and attachment issues, which can be especially helpful for relationship concerns, abandonment or attachment-related struggles. In addition, his client-centered stance emphasizes empathy and collaboration, creating space for clients to set goals and move at their own pace while the therapist supports growth and self-understanding.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Dr. Strauss works collaboratively with each person to assess needs, preferences, and goals and then tailors methods - drawing from CBT, attachment-focused, and client-centered techniques - to best support progress.

Online therapy can make that collaborative work more accessible. Video sessions allow live interaction similar to in-person meetings, while phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging provide flexible options for busy schedules, limited mobility, or differing comfort levels with technology. These formats give clients multiple ways to maintain continuity of care and engage in treatment from wherever they are.