Therapist profile
Dr. Colleen Downes, LCSW
New York
Dr. Colleen Downes, LCSW - Anger and Stress support
Continue with ColleenKey details
- CredentialsLCSW
- LicenseLCSW, New York / 039784
- NPI1730240516
- Experience35 years
- LanguagesEnglish
- LocationNew York
About
- Client-centered care
- Mindfulness practices
- Solution-focused goals
About Colleen
Dr. Colleen Downes is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in New York with 35 years of experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, anger, depression, relationship and family issues, parenting strain, grief, and career concerns. She also supports people facing ADHD, chronic illness, caregiving stress, and adoption or attachment questions.
Her approach is conversational and practical. Sessions focus on understanding what sparks anger or overwhelm and building clearer ways to respond. She uses listening, reflection, and goal-focused conversations to help people notice patterns and try new behaviors.
Dr. Downes draws on client-centered techniques that place the person's experience at the center of sessions. She also uses psychodynamic ideas to look at longer-term patterns and solution-focused methods to set clear, short-term goals. Mindfulness strategies are offered to help with emotional regulation and staying present during difficult moments.
Her background includes work across mental health, learning disabilities, chronic medical illness, foster care, and adoption services. That breadth informs work with clients facing life changes, caregiving demands, or medical challenges that affect mood and relationships.
In sessions she helps people set realistic steps for managing anger and stress, develop clearer communication habits, and practice simple grounding or mindfulness tools. She frames therapy as a place to try new approaches and track what works over time.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Dr. Downes integrates client-centered work and solution-focused methods in a way that adapts well to conversation over distance. Client-centered therapy emphasizes the person's experience and priorities, so sessions focus on listening, reflection, and following the concerns the person brings. Solution-focused therapy targets clear, achievable steps and quick experiments people can try between sessions to reduce anger and frustration.She also uses mindfulness strategies to help with emotional regulation. Those practices involve simple breathing, grounding, and attention exercises that can be practiced during or after a session to reduce reactivity. Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process; she will work with the person to test methods, track what helps, and adjust plans based on goals and daily life demands.
The original biography does not specify which online session formats are offered, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a work break, avoid travel time, or have a shorter check-in when needed. Licensed professionals commonly use remote sessions to bring regular practice into everyday routines without promising a particular format.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of anger-related problems does she address?
She supports people dealing with snapping at loved ones, workplace frustration, simmering resentment, and other anger concerns alongside related issues like anxiety or stress.
How would she approach my temper in sessions?
Her style is conversational and practical. She explores what sets off anger, offers mindfulness techniques, and works on concrete behavior changes and short-term goals.
How much experience does she have?
She has 35 years of clinical experience working in mental health, learning disabilities, chronic illness care, foster care, and adoption services.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in New York and based in New York.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Which session formats are offered?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; confirm current online or in-person options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to start working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is unsafe, use the crisis numbers.