Derrell Tidwell, LCSW, LICSW
Licensed in California · 42 years in practice
Derrell Tidwell is a licensed clinical social worker with more than four decades of practice.
License and registration
- LCSW, California
- 9609 · expires January 2028
- LICSW, Washington
- LW 61520535 · expires February 2027
- NPI
- 1871661074 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 42
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.
About Derrell
Derrell Tidwell is a licensed clinical social worker with more than four decades of practice. He draws on Client-Centered and trauma-focused methods to help people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and identity-related concerns. He works from Washington and holds both LCSW and LICSW credentials.
Derrell believes people carry important strengths that guide change. In a typical session he listens to each person’s story, helps name pressing problems, and explores practical steps they can try between meetings.
Background and approach
His approach is collaborative and grounded in everyday language rather than clinical jargon. He has long experience addressing relationship and family concerns, including communication problems, caregiving strain, codependency, and separation. He also supports people dealing with abandonment, shame, impulsivity, isolation, and life-purpose questions.
For those affected by trauma or abuse he combines trauma-focused work with supportive coaching to reduce symptoms and regain routine. Therapy often includes identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes. Derrell uses elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy when a clear goal or short-term plan helps.
He also draws on psychodynamic ideas to consider patterns that repeat across relationships. Practical matters are part of the work. Sessions can be scheduled around weekday mornings when possible, and the therapist will help people figure out realistic next steps.
Derrell aims to make therapy understandable and directly useful for day-to-day life.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Derrell lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Depression
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Eating disorders
- Self esteem
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Abandonment
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-love
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Approaches Derrell names
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
Approaches that guide online sessions and practical benefits
Derrell often uses Client-Centered Therapy, which centers the person’s own goals and stories and emphasizes listening and empathy to clarify what matters most. He pairs that with Trauma-Focused Therapy when past harm affects how someone functions today, helping break down traumatic memories and reduce their immediate impact.He also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking and try small behavior changes that can improve daily functioning. Each approach is described and considered with the person, so the therapist and client choose what to try together rather than imposing a single method.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist talks with each person about their goals, symptoms, and preferences, and together they adjust techniques over time. This collaborative process helps match short-term plans and longer-term exploration to what the person needs.
Online formats used include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video works well for conversation and visual cues, phone calls can fit into short breaks or lower bandwidth situations, live chat gives an option for written back-and-forth, and messaging supports brief check-ins or ongoing coaching between sessions. These options make scheduling more flexible and help people keep therapy going amid busy lives.
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Questions people ask
What concerns does this therapist address?
He helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and family concerns, LGBT issues, eating and self-esteem problems, trauma and abuse, and coping with life changes.
What style or approach is used in therapy?
The work is collaborative and straightforward, using client-centered listening plus techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused work, psychodynamic ideas, and trauma-focused methods when needed.
How much experience does the therapist have?
The therapist brings 42 years of professional experience working with a wide range of concerns and life stages.
Where is the therapist licensed and based?
He practices from Washington and holds LCSW and LICSW credentials, including a California LCSW and a Washington LICSW LW.
Are sessions offered in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Sessions may be conducted by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different preferences.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; therapy uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How does someone start working with this therapist?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session according to the therapist's availability.
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