Wendy Goffena, LCSW
Compassionate practical therapy for everyday parenting challenges
Book with Wendy- Years in practice
- 9
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- Montana, Wyoming
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
- Focus
- Anger management
About Wendy
Wendy Goffena is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with nine years as an LCSW and a long history in mental health. She has worked in community mental health, medical social work, inpatient residential treatment, correctional settings, child protective services, and outpatient programs. Her background combines direct therapy with case management and program work across rural and clinical settings in Montana.
Wendy takes a straightforward, client-centered approach. She treats people as experts on their own lives and partners with them to set goals.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on practical steps clients can use at home and in daily life to reduce stress, manage moods, and improve relationships. She commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot thought patterns that drive unhelpful behavior. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are included for mood regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is offered for processing traumatic memories, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy supports values-based action and psychological flexibility. Wendy has worked with adults facing anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting concerns, relationship struggles, and chronic health or caregiver stress. Her practice also attends to issues such as sleep problems, anger, self-esteem, and life transitions.
She aims to help people find more ease and practical tools for coping. Wendy is based in Montana and conducts sessions in English. Her style blends practical skills training with listening and collaboration so each person can choose what fits their life.
What Wendy works with
Everything Wendy lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Wendy helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
Approaches Wendy lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Trauma-Focused 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 Wendy Uses Evidence-Based Approaches Online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on values and small actions that matter to the client. It uses acceptance and mindfulness to help people commit to changes that match their priorities and reduce avoidance. This can help with anxiety, low mood, parenting stress, and coping with life changes.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Sessions include simple exercises to notice unhelpful thinking, try alternatives, and test new behaviors. This approach often helps with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and painful thought patterns.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) offers tools for processing past traumatic memories that still affect everyday life and relationships. It is used when trauma memories are impacting mood, sleep, or connection with others.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Wendy collaborates with each person to choose or combine methods that match their goals, needs, and comfort. She reviews options and adjusts tools over time so therapy stays useful and practical.
Online therapy brings flexibility to scheduling and formats. Video calls let the therapist and client meet face to face, phone sessions use less bandwidth, live chat supports short check-ins, and text-based messaging is useful for ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy parenting schedules, medical appointments, or rural living.
Questions people ask about Wendy
What concerns does Wendy commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting questions, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep problems, anger, and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is client-centered and collaborative. She uses practical skills and goal-setting so clients can apply changes between sessions.
What kind of experience does she bring?
She holds nine years as an LCSW and many additional years in mental health roles across community, inpatient, medical, correctional, and school-based settings.
Where is she licensed and located?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Montana and practices there.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not take international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How does the cost and start process work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule based on therapist availability.
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