Connie Toavs
Calm, practical psychotherapy for life transitions
LCSW, LICSW Minnesota
- Experience
- 10 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief
- Approaches
- Gottman Method, Attachment-Based Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Connie
Connie Toavs is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief, relationship strain, and life transitions. She brings ten years of clinical experience and a calm, steady presence to sessions.
Background and approach
Connie aims to make conversations feel straightforward and manageable for someone reading on a phone or squeezing in time between tasks. She draws on a background in psychology, gerontology, and social work to understand problems across the lifespan.
Connie listens for repeated patterns that get in the way and helps clients name how those patterns affect emotions and day-to-day functioning. She uses plain language and short, practical steps so clients can try new strategies between meetings.
Her approach combines attachment-based ideas with client-centered listening and cognitive-behavioral techniques. Connie also uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method concepts where they fit the goals.
She explains each idea simply and checks in to make sure it feels useful for the person in front of her. Connie works with people facing trauma, depression, addiction concerns, intimacy-related issues, career stress, caregiver strain, chronic illness, and end-of-life topics.
She also supports LGBTQ clients and those navigating communication, codependency, or identity questions. Sessions address both emotional experience and practical coping skills.
Connie practices in Minnesota and holds LCSW and LICSW credentials. She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging so people can choose what fits their schedule and comfort.
Approach and options for online therapy
Connie combines several practical therapy methods to help people meet goals. The Gottman Method offers tools for improving communication and reducing conflict, useful when relationship strain or intimacy issues are a focus. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at early relationship patterns and how they shape current emotional responses, helping people understand why certain interactions feel threatening or painful. Client-Centered Therapy prioritizes the person’s own perspective, using empathetic listening and reflection so clients feel heard and can discover their own solutions.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Connie will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they decide which methods to use and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy flexible. Video is helpful for full conversations and nonverbal cues, while phone sessions can fit into a short break or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging work well for quick check-ins, ongoing support between sessions, and for people who prefer typing to talking. These formats help people fit care into busy or unpredictable lives.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Licensed in
Minnesota, Wisconsin
Languages
English