Dr. Colleen Downes, LCSW

Dr. Colleen Downes is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 35 years of clinical experience, licensed to practice in New York. She has worked with individuals, couples, and families from diverse backgrounds and life situations, drawing on a long career in mental health, learning disabilities, chronic illness care, caregiving, foster care, and adoption. Her practice has included supporting people facing chronic medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, and cancer, as well as addressing adoption-related concerns, depression, anxiety, career challenges, and ADHD.

Her counseling style is warm and interactive; she approaches each person with respect, compassion, and a nonjudgmental stance. Her work blends psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral techniques to explore underlying patterns while building practical skills, and she adapts dialogue and treatment plans to reflect each client’s unique circumstances and goals. As an LCSW, she brings training in assessment, treatment planning, and therapeutic intervention grounded in social work principles.

Dr. Downes aims to support and empower clients as they navigate life transitions, manage symptoms, and develop effective coping strategies. She emphasizes collaboration and practical tools to foster resilience and healthier relationships. She looks forward to working with clients who seek thoughtful, experienced guidance through complex personal and family challenges.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Client-centered therapy focuses on creating a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where the client guides the pace and content of sessions; this approach helps people clarify values, build self-esteem, and make decisions that reflect their true priorities. Mindfulness therapy teaches present-moment awareness and practical strategies for managing stress and anxiety, which can be useful for coping with chronic illness, grief, and everyday overwhelm. Psychodynamic therapy explores recurring patterns and early relationships that shape current reactions and emotions, offering insight that can improve relationships and long-term functioning.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist works collaboratively with each client to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. Sessions may blend elements from different approaches to create a tailored plan that evolves as the work progresses.

Online therapy with licensed professionals offers flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to maintain consistent care around work, family, and health demands, while allowing therapists to use the same core techniques and supportive collaboration that characterize in-person work.