We all have crisis points and painful transitions in our lives, times when it’s hard to know what to do and where to turn. You might be struggling to make peace with the pain of your past or feel new distance in a treasured relationship. You might be experiencing depression or anxiety for reasons you can’t quite pinpoint. You may be feeling grief over a major loss in your life or anguish over estrangement from an adult child or another beloved family member. Or you may simply be wishing that life could be different but are unsure how to make change happen.
Wherever you find yourself right now, I’m here for you. My approach with clients is gentle and down to earth. My therapeutic orientation is eclectic. That is, I will provide a safe and comfortable place, utilizing whatever therapies seem to work best for you and your unique situation as we work together toward realistic and sustainable change.
In my 25 years as a psychotherapist in medical clinics as well as in private practice in California and now in Arizona, I’ve loved helping a diverse group of clients to discover new ways to live happier, healthier lives.
Becoming a psychotherapist was a longtime dream of mine, one I didn’t achieve until mid-life when I returned to school for a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, Los Angeles and a Ph.D. in Human Behavior at Pacific Western University, Los Angeles. Earlier, I had earned my B.S. and M.S. degrees in journalism from Northwestern University near Chicago.
I’ve really enjoyed my career as a journalist specializing in health and psychology. I have written 15 self-help books for major publishers (including The Teenage Body Book, now in its 7th edition and the recent We Don’t Talk Anymore: Healing After Parents and Adult Children Become Estranged) as well as articles for many national magazines. I’ve liked helping people through my writing. But something was missing – something I didn’t find until I became a therapist: the privilege and joy of being in the room with someone, helping him or her to find the strength and courage to begin making important life changes.
I still write – a blog called “Living Fully in Midlife and Beyond” and a monthly post “Complicated Love” for PsychologyToday.com. I also have a podcast “Living Fully with Dr. Kathy McCoy” on iTunes and Stitcher Radio. And I still write books.
However, the greatest pleasure in my working life these days is helping clients – helping you –to get through times of crisis and to find new peace and joy in life.
Licenses:
Arizona: LMFT-15351
California: LMFT-36870
Publications
Associations
Clinical Fellow, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
