01 · Who Rachael works with

Rachael works with stress, Anxiety, addictions and relationship issues

Rachael lists 14 specialisms and 44 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Rachael chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Rachael's own words

What Rachael says about the work

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

🌟 Licensed Psychotherapist Dedicated to Healing and Growth

Are you exhausted mentally, emotionally, physically? Do you want to feel and think better about yourself, your life, and relationships with others? I am so happy you are here and encourage you to take this opportunity to make a lasting difference in your life. As we enter this holiday season, meeting with me each week gives you a very important reason to get up and show up for yourself.

As a Licensed Master's Social Worker and psychotherapist in Michigan with over 13 years of clinical experience, I am dedicated to supporting individuals through their most complex life challenges. My practice is built on a foundation of deep compassion and a non-judgemental approach, creating a safe and collaborative space for personal transformation and healing.

Clinical Focus and Expertise I specialize in addressing a broad spectrum of mental health concerns, including:

Depression and Anxiety (including social anxiety and panic attacks)

Resolving the effects of trauma (utilizing trauma-informed care and IFS)

Relationship dynamics and communication challenges

Stress Management and emotional well-being

Life transitions, grief/loss, and career challenges

Mood disorders, OCD, ADHD, and personality disorders

Therapeutic Approach and Client Outcomes My therapeutic work is rooted in understanding each person's unique cognitive and emotional landscape. I combine evidence-based therapy approaches-including Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT), Dialectical-Behavioral (DBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS)-to help you achieve meaningful, lasting change.

Working together, we will focus on strengthening self-esteem and self-worth, moving you toward gaining empowerment, independence, and healthy interdependence. You will learn to:

Heal from past unresolved experiences and navigate difficult emotions.

Update cognitive processes and develop self-understanding.

Gain control over your life by creating new, positive habits.

Acquire essential skills in coping, problem-solving, self-control, and self-advocacy.

My counseling style is warm, motivational, and interactive. We will work collaboratively to develop a tailored treatment plan and goals that meet your specific needs. Taking the first step towards a happier, more fulfilling life requires immense courage, and I am here to fully support you on that journey.

Availability and Scheduling I offer flexible availability to meet your needs, including evening and weekend sessions available by request. My scheduled hours are posted well in advance through the app, giving you the opportunity to schedule up to 3 sessions in advance.

Rachael McKinnon, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Rachael works

The 9 approaches Rachael lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Rachael lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Rachael'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 Rachael runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

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.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

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.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

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.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Rachael 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 Rachael'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 Rachael at this point.

2. Naming Rachael specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Rachael 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 Rachael.

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 Rachael

Built from what Rachael actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Rachael's - Rachael 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

LMSW

Licensed in

Michigan

Licence

MI LMSW 6801091574

Licence number

6801091574

Licence expires

14 Nov 2026

NPI

1841512829

Years in practice

14

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Rachael'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 9 Oct 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 Rachael. 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.