William Duff

• Name: William Joel Duff
• Credential: LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor)
• License: LPC-24868 (Arizona)
• Education: M.A., Professional Counseling — Ottawa University
• Years in practice: Almost 20 years, including extensive work in crisis intervention, substance abuse treatment, and trauma-focused care
• Certifications: EMDR-trained, DBT-trained

Most of the struggles that bring people to therapy — anxiety, depression, addiction, difficulty in relationships — trace back to past trauma. When we don't fully process painful experiences, they don't just fade; they keep showing up as anxious thoughts, low mood, numbing behaviors, or reactions that feel bigger than the moment calls for. My work is centered on helping you understand that connection and do something about it.

I'm an EMDR-trained therapist, and I use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) as a core part of my work with trauma. EMDR helps the brain finally process difficult memories, so they stop firing off subconscious, outsized reactions in your daily life. Alongside EMDR, I draw on Person-Centered Therapy, Strength-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - matching the approach to what you need, not the other way around.

In the room, I'm nonjudgmental, sincere, caring, and direct. I won't dance around what I'm seeing, and I won't pretend to have easy answers where there aren't any — but I will be honest with you, and I'll bring almost twenty years of clinical experience to help you get unstuck. Therapy works best as a real partnership, and I aim to be a steady, straightforward presence in yours.

I believe most mental health struggles are rooted in unprocessed past trauma. My primary tool is EMDR, which helps clients process traumatic memories, so they no longer trigger automatic, subconscious reactions. I pair this with person-centered, strength-based, and ACT approaches to support the whole person, not just the symptom.

Your first session with me is really about getting to know each other — not paperwork, and not trying to cover your whole life story in fifty minutes. We'll talk about what brought you to therapy, what's been weighing on you, and what you're hoping will be different. I'll ask questions to understand your history and what's going on for you now, but there's no pressure to share more than you're ready to.

I'll also walk you through how I work, including approaches like EMDR that I draw on, so you have a clear picture of what therapy with me looks like and can decide if it feels like the right fit. By the end of that first session, we'll usually have a general sense of what we're working on together and what the next few sessions might look like.

Since my practice is telehealth only, we'll do this from wherever you're most comfortable. Whatever brings you in, my goal — in that first session and every one after — is to be direct and honest with you while creating a space where you don't feel judged.