Dr. Colleen Downes

Dr. Colleen Downes is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in New York with decades of practice helping people manage stress, anger, anxiety, and grief. She brings a calm, respectful presence to sessions and focuses on practical steps people can use right away. Her approach aims to strengthen coping skills and rebuild confidence during hard times.

Dr. Downes listens for what matters most to each person and adapts the conversation to their needs. She has long experience with concerns tied to medical conditions, caregiving, adoption and foster care, and family of origin issues. She also supports people facing career challenges, ADHD, relationship strain, and recovery from trauma and abuse.

Her style is warm and interactive. Sessions emphasize understanding how past experiences shape current behavior while also building concrete strategies for change. Mindfulness techniques and solution-focused conversations are used alongside psychodynamic reflections when helpful.

Clients can expect collaborative goal-setting and practical tools for day-to-day life. She helps people learn breathing and grounding skills, plan small behavior changes, and rethink unhelpful patterns that keep stress and anger active.

With 35 years of experience, Dr. Downes draws on long-term clinical work across mental health, chronic illness, learning differences, foster care, and adoption. She tailors therapy to each person’s history and current priorities, and supports clients as they try new ways of coping and relating.

How these approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on making space for the person's concerns and following their lead. In practice this means the therapist listens closely, reflects what she hears, and helps the person identify their own priorities and choices. This approach is useful for people needing empathy and a steady, respectful listener.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity. Short exercises help people notice tension, pause before acting, and return focus to the present moment. These techniques can be helpful for anger, anxiety, and stress management.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss options with the client and tailor methods based on their goals, preferences, and day-to-day life. Plans are adjusted over time so the approach fits the individual rather than forcing a single method.

Confirm the current session options before booking, as formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow follow-ups between in-person visits. It also supports shorter check-ins or longer weekly work depending on what the client needs. Licensed professionals can help decide the best rhythm and format to keep progress moving forward.