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utahOnline Therapy in Utah for Parents of Children With Special Needs and Medical Complexities
Diana Gelfand, MSW, LCSW, provides online therapy throughout Utah for parents of children with special needs, medical conditions, and behavioral or developmental challenges. At DLG Therapy, LLC, she also supports foster and adoptive families navigating caregiver burnout, medical trauma, anxiety, and grief. Sessions are held by secure telehealth.
- Now accepting Utah clients
- UT LCSW #14259993-3501
You do so much to keep your family moving. You deserve a place where you do not have to hold everything together.
When your child needs more than the usual parenting playbook, your days can fill with appointments, advocacy, decisions, and worries that other people rarely see. You may love your child fiercely and still feel anxious, depleted, or unsure how to make room for yourself.
I’m Diana Gelfand, MSW, LCSW, founder of DLG Therapy, LLC. I provide online therapy to parents and caregivers throughout Utah. I’m also an adoptive mother of three children with complex needs. I understand this world both professionally and personally.
I am licensed to provide telehealth therapy in Utah. I bring more than 14 years of pediatric neurology and medical social work experience, along with lived experience raising three children with complex needs through adoption.
You shouldn’t have to explain your world to your therapist.
Therapy for Utah Parents Raising Children With Special Needs
Utah families may be coordinating specialty appointments, educational supports, and therapies across busy schedules or long distances. Your own emotional needs can get pushed aside while you keep everything else going.
Parenting a child with autism, ADHD, a neurological condition, chronic illness, or developmental or behavioral differences can bring persistent worry, guilt, irritability, isolation, and decision fatigue. You may feel as if you must anticipate every problem before it happens.
In therapy, we make space for your feelings—not only your child’s needs. We can work on managing anxiety, setting realistic boundaries, reducing self-blame, navigating difficult conversations, and identifying coping strategies that fit your actual life.
You do not need another generic reminder to “take care of yourself.” You need support from someone who understands why that can be so difficult.
A Therapist Who Understands Pediatric Medical Complexity
Before opening my private practice, I spent more than 14 years in early intervention, pediatric neurology and medical social work. I supported families facing serious diagnoses, chronic conditions, uncertain outcomes, and the ongoing work of coordinating care.
As a parent raising children with complex medical and developmental needs, I know that the emotional impact does not stop when an appointment ends. My approach incorporates trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and practical problem-solving, tailored to your goals.
Foster and Adoptive Parent Therapy in Utah
Adoption is not the finish line.
I adopted my three children through foster care. I understand that permanency is important, but it does not erase trauma, grief, behavioral challenges, or the need for continued support. Parents can experience joy, love, frustration, uncertainty, and exhaustion at the same time.
As a 2026 Angels in Adoption honoree, I advocated on Capitol Hill for stronger post-adoption services because families need meaningful support long after adoption is finalized. In therapy, you can talk openly about the realities of foster and adoptive parenting—both the joy and the difficult parts—without fear of judgment.
Caregiver Burnout and Medical Trauma
Living on high alert can change the way you sleep, relate to others, and experience ordinary moments. You might feel overwhelmed by a new diagnosis, anxious before follow-up appointments, or emotionally drained after years of caregiving.
As a Certified Grief Educator, I also support people navigating anticipatory grief, loss, and the changes to family life that medical or developmental challenges can bring. You can feel grateful for your child and still grieve the things that have been hard.
Grief, Loss, and Anticipatory Grief
Grief isn’t always connected to a death. Parents may grieve the loss of expectations, the uncertainty of a child’s medical future, or the changes a diagnosis brings to family life. As a Certified Grief Educator, I support clients navigating anticipatory grief, bereavement, and the complicated emotions that accompany medical caregiving.
Telehealth Therapy Throughout Utah
DLG Therapy provides secure online therapy to eligible clients physically located in Utah, including Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, St. George, Logan, Cedar City, and communities throughout Utah. You do not need to live near a major city to seek specialized support.
Telehealth means you can attend from an appropriate private location without adding travel time to an already demanding schedule. I am licensed in Florida, California, Illinois, Arizona, and Utah.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you licensed to provide online therapy in Utah?
Yes. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker licensed in Utah and provide telehealth therapy to clients physically located in the state during sessions.
Do you specialize in therapy for parents of children with special needs?
Yes. Supporting parents raising children with medical, neurological, developmental, and behavioral needs is a central focus of my practice.
Can therapy help with caregiver burnout?
Yes. Therapy can help you address ongoing stress, anxiety, emotional exhaustion, guilt, boundaries, and coping with responsibilities that do not simply go away.
Do you work with foster and adoptive parents?
Yes. I support foster and adoptive parents navigating trauma-related concerns, parenting stress, family transitions, grief, and the emotional demands of advocacy.
Do you offer therapy outside the largest cities in Utah?
Yes. Eligible clients can attend secure telehealth sessions from throughout Utah, provided they are physically in the state and have an appropriate private location.
Do you accept insurance or private pay in Utah?
Private-pay therapy is available. Insurance participation and eligibility can vary by state and plan. Please contact DLG Therapy or review the Insurance and Rates page for current details.
You Deserve Support, Too
You shouldn’t have to explain your world to your therapist.
Whether you’re navigating another diagnosis, managing your child’s complex needs, or feeling exhausted from years of advocating for everyone else, you deserve a place where the focus can finally be on you. If you’re looking for online therapy in Utah with someone who understands the challenges of special needs parenting and medical caregiving—both professionally and personally—I invite you to reach out to DLG Therapy to ask about current openings.
You don't have to keep carrying this alone.
Start with a free 15-minute consultation. No pressure, just a conversation.
Book your free callOr call 561-903-0096 · Diana@DLGtherapy.com
