Leslie McRae, LCSW

Leslie McRae is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with more than 30 years of clinical experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, low self-esteem, and major life transitions. He brings a warm, non-judgmental approach while offering practical tools and insights to help clients move toward a more satisfying, productive life.

As a gay male therapist, he combines lived experience with extensive professional training to create an affirming space for LGBT clients and others navigating identity, relationship, or career concerns. His manner is personable and interactive so that clients feel both supported and, when needed, constructively challenged to foster growth.

Leslie offers weekday phone sessions between 11 am and 4 pm, which can be scheduled through the website calendar or by contacting him directly. He also provides asynchronous messaging between sessions and aims to respond within 24 hours, often sooner. While he checks messages during evenings and weekends, he currently does not offer evening or weekend session times.

Leslie welcomes those seeking steady, experienced guidance for anxiety, panic, social fears, aging and geriatric concerns, codependency, gender dysphoria, HIV / AIDS related issues, and the stresses of work and relationships.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes an empathic, listening approach that helps clients explore their values, strengthen self-esteem, and gain clarity about personal goals. It supports individuals who need space to process emotions and build self-understanding at their own pace.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. It offers concrete strategies for managing anxiety, panic symptoms, social fears, and stress by teaching skills that can be practiced between sessions.

Solution-Focused Therapy is a brief, goal-oriented method that concentrates on strengths and practical steps toward achievable change. It can be especially useful for clients facing career decisions, relationship challenges, or specific life transitions.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and the therapist will work collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences. This collaborative process helps tailor sessions to what will be most helpful.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit care into a busy schedule. Asynchronous messaging allows for ongoing contact between appointments, and different modalities make therapy more accessible for those balancing work, family, and other responsibilities.