About Rachel
Rachel McGowan is a licensed independent clinical social worker, LICSW, based in Massachusetts with 11 years of experience. She creates a warm, interactive space where people can talk about stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other concerns. Her style is respectful and nonjudgmental and she focuses on building a trusting relationship first.
She uses a mix of practical approaches to meet each person’s needs. That can include client-centered conversations, cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness exercises, and skills from dialectical behavior therapy.
Background and approach
Sessions often focus on identifying triggers, trying new coping strategies, and practicing skills until they become easier to use. Rachel has experience in clinical settings and as a school social worker, and she has worked with people affected by trauma in residential programs.
That background informs how she helps clients manage mood symptoms, panic, social anxiety, and challenges linked to autism and ADHD. Her work also addresses eating concerns, self-esteem, and relationship stress. She emphasizes collaboration when making a plan.
Goals are practical and chosen together, and progress is reviewed along the way. Rachel aims to help people build tools they can use in everyday life to handle anger, life changes, and difficult emotions. Rachel sometimes includes her certified therapy dog, Bauer, a two-year-old Goldendoodle, during sessions when that is helpful.
She invites people who are ready for change to take a first step toward a more manageable, meaningful life.
Using practical therapy approaches online
Rachel combines client-centered work with cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to help people manage symptoms and build skills. Client-centered work focuses on listening and understanding each person’s experience, which helps set goals that matter to them. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at patterns of thought and behavior and teaches specific techniques to reduce anxiety, depression, and mood symptoms. Dialectical behavior therapy provides concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving interpersonal effectiveness, which can be helpful for intense emotions and relationship stress.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. She collaborates with clients to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they try techniques, review what helps, and adjust the plan over time so the work stays practical and relevant to daily life.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule. Video calls let people work face to face when helpful. Phone sessions can be quicker and use less bandwidth. Live chat or messaging suits short check-ins, skill practice, or when writing feels easier than speaking. These formats offer flexibility so people can access consistent support while working on coping skills and daily routines.
Questions people ask
What concerns does Rachel commonly address?
What is her general therapy style?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What are her credentials and where is she located?
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Can she work with international clients?
What session formats are available?
How does cost and scheduling work?
What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- LGBT
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 11 years
- Licensed
- Massachusetts
- Languages
- English
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