Ferial Youkhanna , LMSW

Ferial Youkhanna is a licensed master social worker (LMSW), a master's-level credential that authorizes clinical practice in social work. She brings 24 years of experience supporting individuals, couples, and families through a wide range of life challenges and emotional concerns. Based in Michigan, she works with people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship and family difficulties, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related concerns, sleep and eating issues, parenting and caregiving stress, anger and self-esteem struggles, career transitions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and other coping challenges.

She earned a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Detroit Mercy and a Master of Clinical Mental Health/Micro Social Work from Wayne State University in Detroit. Her approach is integrative and strengths-based, drawing on cognitive behavioral strategies, dialectical behavior techniques, solution-focused interventions, client-centered principles, motivational interviewing, and acceptance and commitment ideas to tailor support to each person. She has extensive experience working with both individuals and couples and emphasizes practical skills, emotional understanding, and resilience building.

Ferial provides services in English and Arabic and accepts new clients in Michigan. Her practice aims to collaborate with clients to identify goals, address patterns that cause distress, and develop workable strategies for lasting change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Ferial draws on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help people identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns; CBT is practical and goal-oriented, often used for anxiety, depression, and stress-related concerns. She also uses attachment-based therapy to explore how early relationships shape current patterns in close relationships and to strengthen emotional connection and trust. Client-centered therapy is another core element of her work, emphasizing empathy, acceptance, and collaborative goal setting so that the client leads the pace and focus of change.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Ferial works collaboratively with each person to assess needs, preferences, and goals, adjusting techniques over time to find what fits best and supports steady progress.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier for busy schedules, caregiving responsibilities, mobility limits, or geographic constraints to connect with licensed professionals and therapists, while allowing continuity of care and multiple ways to engage in meaningful therapeutic work.