Dr. Rachel Kinison

Dr. Rachel Kinison welcomes people who are struggling with strong emotions, life changes, or difficult events. She is known for a direct, down-to-earth style and uses practical tools to help calm anger, anxiety, and stress. Rachel has two decades of counseling experience and holds a doctorate in Pastoral Community Counseling along with a masters in Counseling.

Rachel works in a straightforward way. She teaches relaxation skills and uses methods drawn from cognitive-behavioral work and trauma-focused approaches. Sessions focus on what is happening now and on small changes that can make daily life easier. She believes people can shift how they think and behave by changing one thing at a time.

Her background includes community counseling, a hospital behavioral health unit, and adult probation programs. That variety shaped her ability to work in individual and group settings. She also has training related to posttraumatic stress and often blends techniques to fit each person.

Rachel lives in Illinois and holds an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor credential and a Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor credential. She brings lived experience with mobility and movement challenges, and she says those experiences inform her empathy and practical problem solving.

Outside of work she enjoys quiet evenings with her Basset Hound and Beagle, traveling, and cooking. She aims to help people find small, usable steps toward feeling more in control and less overwhelmed.

How her approaches translate to online work

Dr. Rachel Kinison commonly blends cognitive-behavioral methods with trauma-focused techniques to help people manage anger, anxiety, and stress. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce distress and improve coping. Trauma-focused therapy helps people process difficult memories and learn strategies to reduce trauma-related reactions and improve daily functioning.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Rachel will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and comfort. She often combines techniques rather than using a single method, and she checks in regularly to adjust the plan as progress is made.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the session formats offered before booking. Many people find remote sessions helpful because they can fit therapy into a workday, avoid travel time, or choose a quieter setting that works for them. Some approaches translate well to online formats because they rely on talking, skill practice, and guided exercises rather than physical tools. Talk with the therapist about scheduling and the kinds of exercises you can expect so sessions fit your routine.