01 · Who Colleen works with

Colleen works with stress, Anxiety, trauma and abuse and self esteem

Colleen lists 11 specialisms and 12 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Colleen chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Colleen's own words

What Colleen says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Asking for help can be the most difficult decision you can make for yourself. It’s never an easy step, as we often prefer by nature to handle things on our own. I'm here to help you along your journey, as we look together and examine areas that you wish to change. My approach is collaborative and compassionate focusing on individual strengths and creating an environment that is safe for exploration and reflection.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Pennsylvania with over 12 years of experience in assessment and mental health treatment. I have worked with clients with a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, self esteem, etc. I have also helped many people who have a history of trauma. While these may be some areas of focus this is not an exhaustive list of my experience. I have a passion for helping women overcome barriers that are holding them back from achieving what they desire and find fulfillment in the journey of life.

If you feel we'd be a good match, I'd be happy to work with you.

***My current availability is limited, however I do have a few openings. ***

Colleen Mest, LCSW

Colleen Mest, on the BetterHelp listing · read 8 Nov 2026

03 · How Colleen works

The 5 approaches Colleen lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Colleen lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Colleen's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Colleen runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Also listed

• Imago Relationship Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Colleen practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Colleen's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Colleen at this point.

2. Naming Colleen specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Colleen is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Colleen.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Colleen

Built from what Colleen actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Colleen's - Colleen has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Pennsylvania

Licence

PA LCSW CW018002

Licence number

CW018002

Licence expires

28 Feb 2027

NPI

1619280054

Years in practice

12

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Colleen's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 8 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Colleen. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.