- Practical behavior change
- Mindful, values-based work
- Warm collaborative style
About Rachael
Rachael McKinnon is a Licensed Master’s Social Worker (LMSW) practicing in Michigan with 14 years of clinical experience. She helps people who are worn down by stress, anxiety, depression, and the fallout from trauma. Her approach is warm and down-to-earth, and she focuses on practical changes people can make in daily life to feel better.
Rachael uses a mix of strategies, leaning on cognitive behavioral ideas and mindfulness to help people notice and shift unhelpful thoughts and habits. She also draws on acceptance and commitment principles to help clients clarify values and take small, manageable steps toward them. Sessions are collaborative and paced to the person’s needs.
Her background includes extensive work with mood and substance concerns, relationship troubles, grief, sleep problems, anger, and self-esteem struggles. She also supports people facing life transitions, caregiving stress, chronic illness, and issues linked to identity, including LGBT concerns.
Rachael emphasizes building everyday skills - coping tools, communication improvements, and habit changes - that people can use between sessions. She encourages realistic goals and steady progress rather than quick fixes. The work focuses on what can be done now to reduce distress and improve functioning.
People who appreciate a motivational, interactive style tend to do well with her. She listens without judgment and helps clients experiment with new ways of thinking and acting. The aim is clearer thinking, better routines, and more ease in handling life’s demands.
Rachael uses a mix of strategies, leaning on cognitive behavioral ideas and mindfulness to help people notice and shift unhelpful thoughts and habits. She also draws on acceptance and commitment principles to help clients clarify values and take small, manageable steps toward them. Sessions are collaborative and paced to the person’s needs.
Her background includes extensive work with mood and substance concerns, relationship troubles, grief, sleep problems, anger, and self-esteem struggles. She also supports people facing life transitions, caregiving stress, chronic illness, and issues linked to identity, including LGBT concerns.
Rachael emphasizes building everyday skills - coping tools, communication improvements, and habit changes - that people can use between sessions. She encourages realistic goals and steady progress rather than quick fixes. The work focuses on what can be done now to reduce distress and improve functioning.
People who appreciate a motivational, interactive style tend to do well with her. She listens without judgment and helps clients experiment with new ways of thinking and acting. The aim is clearer thinking, better routines, and more ease in handling life’s demands.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
LGBTTrauma and abuseGriefSleeping disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changes
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAvoidant personalityBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMoney and financial issuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems
Experience
14+ years
Credentials
Michigan
Languages
English
How Rachael’s Approaches Translate to Online Work
Rachael commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice painful thoughts without getting stuck and to act in ways that match their values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce distress.Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. She works collaboratively to figure out which methods fit each person’s goals and preferences. That means trying strategies, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan together.
Confirm the session formats available before booking, as current options are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, for example by reducing travel time and allowing quicker check-ins during a work break. It can also let people practice skills in the real contexts where they need them. Licensed professionals can help set clear goals and teach practical habits and coping tools that transfer to everyday routines.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns can Rachael help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, relationship and family struggles, grief, sleep problems, anger, self-esteem, career stress, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is warm, motivational, and interactive. Sessions focus on practical skill-building and changing everyday thoughts and habits.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 14 years of experience as a psychotherapist working with a wide range of mental health and life issues.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Master’s Social Worker (LMSW) practicing in Michigan.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.