Richard Banton

Richard Banton, LCSW, brings 25 years of clinical experience to his work in New Mexico. He focuses on helping people reduce stress, manage anger, and move past anxiety and depression. He frames therapy around mental wellness and helps people who want a different view of themselves than ‘‘damaged’’ or ‘‘broken.’’

He uses simple, practical explanations about how thought, consciousness, and the mind shape everyday experience. In sessions he walks people through noticing how painful feelings form and then learning steps to stop that cycle. The aim is clearer thinking and more steady emotional balance rather than technical jargon.

His background includes long-term clinical practice across multiple states, and he blends several therapeutic approaches to match each person’s needs. That might mean working on thinking patterns, building emotional skills, or focusing on values and action. He adapts tools to what the person wants to accomplish.

People turn to him for a range of concerns including trauma and abuse, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting stress, and challenges with focus or motivation. He also helps with life transitions, caregiving strain, chronic illness coping, and body image or eating issues.

Sessions emphasize practical steps people can use between meetings. He encourages clients to try small changes, notice the results, and refine what works. The approach is collaborative and aimed at building confidence for everyday life.

Using ACT, CBT, and Client-Centered Work Online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small actions toward those values while learning to sit with difficult thoughts. It can be useful for anxiety, anger, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new ways of thinking and acting to reduce symptoms like depression or anxiety. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s own experience, using listening and reflection to build trust and self-understanding, which supports motivation and confidence.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. The therapist will work together with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative planning helps make sessions feel relevant and practical from the start.

The profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, for example by saving travel time, allowing shorter check-ins during a break, or avoiding the need to be on camera when someone prefers audio. Licensed professionals can use these flexible arrangements to focus on skills practice, values-based action, and thinking exercises that carry over into daily routines.