Elizabeth Kotkin, LMFT

Elizabeth Kotkin is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 35 years of experience. She works from New York and helps people facing depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, and struggles around addiction and relationships. Her style is straightforward and caring so people can start making change sooner.

Elizabeth uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. She also draws on client-centered methods that focus on listening and understanding each person’s story. Motivational Interviewing and solution-focused techniques are used to set practical, attainable steps when appropriate.

Many people contact her about anxiety, social phobia, and sleep problems. She also supports those dealing with anger, compassion fatigue, parenting strain, midlife transitions, and challenges tied to family of origin. Substance use and recovery work are within her areas of focus as well.

Sessions are aimed at clear goals and usable tools. Elizabeth helps people lay out small experiments to shift patterns and reduce distress. She emphasizes skills people can practice between sessions to build confidence and momentum.

Over decades in practice she has worked with a wide range of life stories. Her approach is adaptable: sometimes steady listening and reflection, other times active skill-building and brief coaching. The emphasis is on practical change that fits each person’s life.

How Elizabeth’s Approaches Work Online

Elizabeth uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify patterns of thought and behavior that keep problems going and then try practical alternatives. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and many daily habits that cause distress. Client-Centered Therapy is another foundation of her work; it focuses on listening and reflecting so each person feels heard and can explore their own goals. Motivational Interviewing is used when readiness for change is uneven, helping people weigh options and find inner reasons to move forward.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. She will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they decide whether to emphasize skill-building, supportive listening, or a mix of methods and then adjust the plan over time.

Online therapy offers options that fit busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be lower bandwidth and easier to fit into a work break. Live chat and text messaging are useful for short check-ins, quick coaching, or when someone prefers writing to speaking. These formats make it simpler to keep continuity and practice new skills between sessions.