Katherine "Kate" McDonald, LPC, LPCC

Katherine "Kate" McDonald is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) based in Colorado. She focuses on practical support for people dealing with stress, anxiety, addiction, mood concerns, and relationship or intimacy problems. Kate aims to meet people where they are, listen closely, and help figure out next steps together.

She uses clear, down-to-earth language in sessions and tailors her approach to each person's needs. Her work often includes tools from acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness-based techniques to address symptoms and daily challenges. She has long experience addressing trauma, grief, parenting stress, sleep troubles, and issues like jealousy and self-esteem.

Kate trained in Virginia and completed a master’s degree in forensic psychology at the University of Denver. Over 13 years she has worked mainly in community mental health settings with adolescents and adults from varied backgrounds, focusing a good deal on addiction, trauma, and mood and anxiety disorders. She also has clinical experience within the United Kingdom health system while keeping her Colorado licensure.

In sessions she works collaboratively to set goals and choose strategies that fit each person’s life. Expect straightforward options you can try between meetings, including breathing and mindfulness exercises, behavior experiments, and clearer ways to talk about difficult emotions. Outside work she enjoys being outdoors, knitting, bullet journaling, and tending houseplants.

If you want practical support for jealousy, relationship stress, coping after loss, or changing habits, Kate can talk with you about what might help and how to get started.

How therapeutic approaches shape online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and commit to actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, stress, low motivation, and for working through feelings like jealousy when values conflict with behavior. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and trying practical behavior experiments to change day-to-day reactions; it is often used for anxiety, mood problems, sleep issues, and managing cravings. Mindfulness-based techniques teach simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and strengthen awareness of emotions and urges.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to pick methods that fit their goals, lifestyle, and preferences. Over a few sessions they will check what helps and adjust the plan together rather than sticking to a single method.

Confirm available session formats before booking so you know which options are offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow short check-ins when a full in-person visit isn't possible. They also allow use of worksheets, guided mindfulness practices, and behavior assignments that you can try between meetings to track progress and build new habits.