Elizabeth McKinley, LPC

Elizabeth McKinley is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Colorado with 27 years of clinical experience. She focuses on depression, trauma and abuse, anxiety, and stress. She also helps people who are dealing with relationship strain, parenting pressures, grief, and the emotional effects of major life changes.

Her work centers on practical, down-to-earth strategies. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and to build more useful habits. She combines that with client-centered listening so each person’s values and goals guide the work.

Elizabeth has worked with many people facing mood disorders and trauma-related problems. She draws on tools from mindfulness to help calm overwhelming feelings. She also uses aspects of the Gottman Method when relationship patterns are part of the concern.

Sessions are aimed at clear, manageable steps rather than long lists of tasks. People often focus on symptom relief first, then work toward longer-term changes in behavior and relationships. Elizabeth emphasizes realistic goals and steady progress.

Her style is straightforward and compassionate. She helps people name what’s going wrong, try new ways of coping, and notice what improves over time.

How therapy approaches translate to online sessions

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following each person's goals. The therapist offers empathy and reflection to help someone understand their values and choices. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts, feelings, and actions and uses short exercises to change patterns that cause distress; it often helps with anxiety, depression, and stress. Mindfulness Therapy teaches attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and steady mood swings.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Elizabeth will talk with clients about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Together they decide whether to emphasize CBT skill-building, client-centered reflection, or mindfulness practices and can adjust as needs change.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and screen-sharing for worksheets. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or for a quick check-in. Live chat and text messaging make it easier to fit brief check-ins into a busy day or to use written exercises between sessions. These options aim to make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into daily life.