Joanne (Jody) GirouLMSW

Joanne (Jody) Girou is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) based in Michigan with 24 years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, ADHD, autism, trauma, and relationship concerns. Jody aims to make sessions relaxed and non-judgmental so clients feel comfortable talking about hard things.

Jody uses a person-centered way of working. She looks for each person’s strengths and builds on them. She blends practical tools with compassionate listening so people can try new ways of coping between sessions.

Her background includes long experience with both children and adults in social work settings. That history informs a flexible approach that can shift to meet everyday needs, whether someone is managing grief, burnout, or changes at work.

In the room Jody focuses on clear, doable steps. She may use techniques from cognitive behavioral work to change unhelpful thinking, acceptance and commitment ideas to clarify values and action, or mindfulness exercises to reduce reactivity. She will tailor what she offers to what a person finds useful.

People who want calm guidance and practical strategies often find her style helpful. She invites clients to share their goals and to experiment with small changes. Jody aims to make therapy a steady, supportive part of how people cope and grow.

How Jody’s Approaches Work for Online Care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small committed steps toward those values while accepting difficult feelings. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns with practical exercises and homework. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers skills for managing strong emotions, improving distress tolerance, and strengthening interpersonal effectiveness.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Jody will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and together decide which methods to try first. She treats therapy as a collaboration and adjusts plans as needed so work between sessions fits real life.

Confirm current session options before booking, since specific online formats are not listed in the biography. In general, online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy day, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Some people prefer video for face-to-face interaction while others choose phone for lower bandwidth or messaging for brief updates; discuss preferences with the therapist when scheduling to find what fits your routine.