PuttingFamilyFirst

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RK Portrait of Dr. Rachel Kinison
Online therapist

Dr. Rachel Kinison

Supportive therapist for practical parenting help

Credentials
LCPC, LMHC
Experience
20 years
Licensed in
Illinois, Florida
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Rachel

Dr. Rachel Kinison welcomes parents who are worried, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin. She writes plainly and listens closely.

Rachel brings almost 20 years of counseling experience and uses practical techniques to help people manage stress, anxiety, grief, parenting challenges, and everyday mood struggles. She keeps sessions straightforward so parents can try new ways of coping between appointments. Rachel earned a doctorate in Pastoral Community Counseling and a master's degree in Counseling.

Background and approach

She holds an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor credential - LCPC - and is also licensed in Florida as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor - LMHC. She lives in Illinois and blends training from community counseling, hospital behavioral health, and adult probation programs into her work. Her style is grounded and adaptable.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a frequent tool because it helps change unhelpful thoughts and habits. She also draws on Trauma-Focused Therapy and Narrative Therapy when experiences or stories from the past shape current struggles. She uses relaxation skills and practical exercises parents can use at home.

Rachel is open about living with mild cerebral palsy, dystonia, and migraine disorder, and she shares that these conditions are managed with regular treatment. That lived experience informs her empathy and problem-solving approach. She keeps language plain and focuses on workable steps.

Sessions focus on clear goals and small changes that make daily life better. Rachel frames therapy as a joint process where the parent leads and she offers direction and skills. That combination aims to make progress feel manageable from week to week.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online care

Emotion-Focused Therapy helps people notice and work with strong feelings so they become less overwhelming. It guides clients to name emotions, understand their role, and practice new ways of responding when intimacy or connection is strained.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors that keep problems stuck. It breaks concerns into small, manageable steps and offers exercises families and parents can try between sessions to reduce worry and improve routines.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will review concerns, goals, and preferences and then recommend one or a mix of methods. This collaborative process helps tailor sessions to what actually fits a parent's life and needs.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when demonstration or modeling helps. Phone sessions work when video isn't convenient. Live chat and text-based messaging make short check-ins or skill practice possible between appointments. These options let busy parents fit therapy into real-life schedules and try tools in the moments they matter.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)

Attends to the emotions underneath a recurring argument or distance, and to the attachment needs driving them. Often used where a relationship keeps returning to the same painful loop.

Narrative Therapy

Looking at the story you have come to tell about yourself, and where it came from. The work is in separating the problem from your identity and finding accounts that fit you better.

Frequently asked questions

What issues can I bring to therapy?
She works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self esteem, parenting, relationship and intimacy-related issues, depression, and anger. Additional focus areas include chronic illness, aging, and mood disorders.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is practical and adaptable. She often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and integrates trauma-focused and narrative techniques when needed.
How long has she been practicing?
She has close to 20 years of counseling experience across community agencies, a hospital behavioral health unit, and adult probation programs.
Which credentials and where is she licensed?
She holds LCPC and LMHC credentials with IL LCPC 180.007037 and FL LMHC MH16436, and is based in Illinois.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working together?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

Next step

Talk to Rachel

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