- Years in practice
- 17
- Credentials
- LICSW
- Licensed in
- West Virginia
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Family conflicts
- Focus
- Grief
About James
James Rusk is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with 17 years of practice. He helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, and parenting challenges. He also supports those coping with life changes, intimacy and relationship concerns, career questions, bipolar disorder, compassion fatigue, and LGBT issues.
Rusk focuses on the stories people tell about their lives. He listens for how past events and future worries shape day-to-day feelings.
Background and approach
He encourages presence and willingness to engage with difficult emotions rather than struggling against them. In sessions he uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, client-centered methods, cognitive behavioral ideas, existential thinking, and mindfulness practices. He blends these approaches to match what each person needs in the moment.
Conversations are practical and aimed at small changes that add up over time. People meet him as a partner in the work. He treats clients as the expert on their own life while offering different lenses to view problems.
The tone is respectful and nonjudgmental, without pushing a list of shoulds. Rusk has worked in agencies, medical settings, and independent practice. That variety shaped his ability to handle practical life stresses and complex emotional issues.
He sees international clients and offers therapy across several online formats from his West Virginia base.
What James works with
Everything James lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else James helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Compassion fatigue
Approaches James lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How his approaches work online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts without being driven by them and learn values-based actions. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, grief, and parenting stress when patterns of avoidance get in the way. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and supporting the person's own capacity to find answers; it helps when someone needs a steady, nonjudgmental space to sort things out.Finding the right approach is part of the work. James will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and decide together which methods to try. This collaborative stance means approaches can shift as needs change, combining ACT, client-centered listening, and cognitive strategies when helpful.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people read facial cues and have deeper conversations, phone sessions can fit into a busy day or use less bandwidth, and live chat or text messaging support quick check-ins or ongoing reflections between sessions. These options make it easier to keep continuity of care and to try different formats as life demands change.
Questions people ask about James
What kinds of problems does he help with?
He supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addictions, and parenting concerns, plus relationship and intimacy issues and career questions.
How would you describe his therapy style?
He works in a conversational, collaborative way that treats the client as the expert on their life while offering practical tools and new perspectives.
What is his professional background?
He has 17 years of clinical experience across agency, medical, and independent practice settings, which informs work with a wide range of life stressors.
What credentials and location are listed?
He holds a LICSW and practices from West Virginia.
In what language are sessions offered and are international clients possible?
Sessions are offered in English and he does accept international clients.
Which session formats does he use?
He offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to therapist availability.
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