Therapist profile
Anna McDonald, LICSW, LCSW
LICSW, LCSW - Family and relationship concerns
Continue with AnnaAbout
- Stress and anxiety
- Family of origin issues
- CBT and DBT techniques
About Anna
Anna McDonald is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with five years of masters-level social work experience. She practices from Minnesota and works with adults who are coping with stress, anxiety, relationship tension, family concerns, self-esteem struggles, depression, intimacy-related issues, career stress, life transitions, and compassion fatigue.
She offers a direct, conversational style. Sessions focus on practical steps and clearer communication. She listens to what matters most and discusses options rather than using technical language.
Her approach draws on client-centered methods, cognitive behavioral techniques, and dialectical behavior strategies among others. That means she helps people identify unhelpful thoughts, try new behaviors, and practice skills for managing strong emotions.
Anna also brings approaches that address relationship patterns and motivation. She uses elements of the Gottman Method to look at how partners interact, and motivational interviewing to clarify goals and increase commitment to change. These tools are applied to individual sessions to address family and parenting concerns as they arise.
She speaks English and Spanish. Practical matters like scheduling, session length, and cost are handled through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule an initial session through the online booking flow.
How sessions work
Therapeutic methods and online sessions
Anna uses client-centered therapy to focus on what the client values and to build an agenda that fits their life. That approach emphasizes listening, reflecting concerns back, and helping the person choose priorities to work on. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and test different ways of thinking and acting. CBT can help with anxiety, depression, and stress by teaching practical tools to change patterns.She also draws on dialectical behavior therapy, DBT, for skills around emotion regulation and distress tolerance. DBT techniques are useful when feelings feel overwhelming and a person needs concrete strategies to manage intense moments. Together these approaches give a mix of skill practice, problem-solving, and conversational work about relationships and roles at home.
Finding the right approach is part of the process and will be decided collaboratively. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, try methods that fit, and adjust as needed based on progress and preference.
Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy routine, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Licensed professionals often use these conveniences to help sessions match everyday life rather than require major scheduling changes.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
Florida, Minnesota
Languages
English, Spanish
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of family issues can she help with?
She works with adults dealing with family conflict, parenting strain, and communication problems. Family of origin issues, forgiveness, and guilt or shame are also in her focus areas.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is conversational and practical. She emphasizes clear communication, skill building, and steps clients can try between sessions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has five years of masters-level social work experience and a total of 15 years of professional work experience. That background informs her approach to stress, relationships, and parenting concerns.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She holds LICSW and LCSW credentials and is licensed in Minnesota as well as Florida. Her practice is based in Minnesota.
Does she offer sessions in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for and what does cost look like?
Sessions use a subscription model and the subscription can be canceled at any time. Exact cost varies with location.
What do I need to do to start?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.