Donna Coakley, MD, LCPC, LPC

Donna Coakley uses cognitive behavioral therapy as a core way to help people change unhelpful thoughts and habits. She combines that with client-centered listening and skills-based work to address stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Donna brings a calm, straightforward presence to sessions and aims to make next steps clear and doable.

With 26 years of experience, Donna has guided people through relationship strain, parenting stress, sleeping problems, and struggles with addiction. She also supports those coping with ADHD, self-esteem issues, and intimacy-related concerns. Her practice includes work with people affected by domestic violence, substance problems, and post-traumatic stress.

Donna trained as a medical doctor and holds counseling credentials as MD, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). She practices in the District of Columbia and works in English. International clients are accepted for online sessions.

Her style is warm and interactive. Sessions focus on practical steps - naming the problem, testing new responses, and building skills to manage feelings and behaviors. She avoids stigmatizing labels and treats each person with respect and sensitivity.

People seeking help will find a therapist who listens, helps set clear goals, and adapts methods to individual needs. The early sessions often center on safety, immediate coping skills, and a simple plan to move forward. Over time work may include thought work, behavioral experiments, trauma processing, or mindfulness practice.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Donna often uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. CBT works well for anxiety, depression, sleeping problems, and patterns that keep returning. She also practices client-centered therapy, which focuses on empathic listening and letting the person lead the pace of change. That approach helps when someone needs a space to talk through relationship, parenting, or identity concerns. When trauma or strong emotions are central, dialectical behavior therapy offers concrete skills for managing distress and improving emotion regulation.

Choosing the right approach is collaborative. Donna will talk with each person about goals, symptoms, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they shape a plan that may mix CBT exercises, DBT skills, trauma processing tools, and mindfulness practices based on needs and preferences.

Online therapy makes regular care easier to fit into life. Video calls allow face-to-face work and guided skill practice. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be a good option on a busy day. Live chat and text messaging support brief check-ins, homework review, or continued coaching between visits. These formats offer flexibility for scheduling, faster follow-up, and steady progress without travel.