About Rafaela
Rafaela DeSoto-Ray is a licensed professional counselor in Texas with 25 years of experience. She helps people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship and intimacy concerns, and life changes. Rafaela aims to offer practical ideas and skills each session so people can notice small improvements between meetings.
She takes a straightforward, person-focused approach. Rafaela treats each person as the expert on their own life and looks for strengths to build on.
Background and approach
She draws from several therapeutic styles and tailors techniques to fit a person’s needs rather than using the same method for everyone. Her background includes work with developmental and behavioral disorders, head injury and neurological conditions, and aging-related concerns such as dementia. That experience informs how she adapts pacing, communication, and goals for people facing cognitive or medical challenges.
Sessions focus on clear goals and usable tools. Rafaela uses talk, practical exercises, and step-by-step plans to address symptoms and daily struggles like sleep problems, anger, parenting stress, or impulsivity. The emphasis is on small changes that add up over time.
People who choose Rafaela can expect a collaborative atmosphere. She listens, suggests options, and checks in about what is helpful. The work is paced to fit each person’s comfort and real-life constraints.
Approach-driven online therapy that fits your life
Rafaela draws from Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to guide online work. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, building trust, and following the person’s pace so they feel heard and valued. It helps with relationship concerns, self-esteem, and making choices that align with personal values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and uses practical exercises to reduce anxious or depressive patterns; it is useful for sleep issues, anxiety, anger, and mood swings.She also uses Solution-Focused Therapy to set concrete goals and try small, doable changes. That approach is goal-oriented and helps when someone wants quick strategies for stress, parenting challenges, or coping with life transitions. Choosing the right mix of methods is a team effort. Rafaela will discuss options, try approaches, and adjust plans based on what feels most useful for the person’s goals and preferences.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video is good when visual connection matters, phone works well when bandwidth is limited, live chat can suit quick check-ins, and messaging supports brief updates or ongoing reflection. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and to keep working on goals between meetings.
Questions people ask
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What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Depression
Also listed
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Intimacy-related issues
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Sleeping disorders
- Somatization
- Trauma and abuse
- Traumatic brain injury
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 25 years
- Licensed
- Texas
- Languages
- English