- Mindfulness therapy
- Psychodynamic work
- Solution-focused steps
About Colleen
Dr. Colleen Downes is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in New York with 35 years of experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, anger, depression, relationship and family concerns, and cope with life changes. She also supports clients dealing with chronic illness, caregiving strain, adoption and foster care matters, and career or ADHD-related challenges.
Her style is conversational and interactive. Sessions focus on practical steps people can use between meetings. She listens to each person's account and works with them to set short-term goals they can try out. Mindfulness and attention to present-moment experience are used alongside deeper exploration of past patterns.
Dr. Downes combines client-centered and psychodynamic ideas with solution-focused work. That means she attends to a person's current needs while also noticing how earlier life and relationships shape reactions today. She uses short-term coaching strategies when people want clear tools for managing anger or overwhelming feelings.
People come for help with grief, trauma and abuse, fertility and medical challenges, and the everyday overwhelm of parenting and caregiving. She brings long experience with learning disabilities, adoption and blended family issues into conversations about impulsivity, attachment, and forgiveness.
Her approach aims to make strong emotions easier to understand and to reduce their disruptive impact. She invites clients to try new ways of responding and checks in on what works. To begin, readers should confirm current session options and follow the site's steps to schedule a first meeting.
Approaches used and what online sessions involve
Client-centered therapy focuses on the client's perspective. The therapist listens closely and follows the person's concerns, helping them find their own solutions and set goals. This approach is useful for anger that comes from feeling misunderstood or overwhelmed.Mindfulness therapy teaches attention to the present moment and to bodily signals. People learn short practices to notice tension and interrupt the build-up to an outburst. It can be helpful for rumination, stress, and emotional reactivity.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to pick methods that match their goals, whether that means more exploration of past patterns or practical steps to reduce impulsive reactions. The plan can shift as progress is made.
The original biography does not specify session formats, so confirm current options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, or avoid travel time. They also let people practice skills in the settings where anger typically arises, helping apply new responses to real situations.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of anger-related concerns does she address?
She helps people who lose their temper with loved ones, feel workplace frustration, carry building resentment, or live with someone else's anger. Anger is listed among many concerns she works with alongside stress and anxiety.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is conversational and interactive. She combines client-centered listening with psychodynamic reflection and practical solution-focused steps.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 35 years of experience practicing as a social worker in mental health, caregiving, adoption, and medical settings.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in New York and practices from that state.
Does she offer sessions in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Which session formats are available with her?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are sessions paid for and what does cost look like?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.