Kellie Gainey , LMHC

Kellie Gainey is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in New York. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, grief, and issues tied to living with health challenges. She also supports people navigating sexuality and identity concerns, addiction, ADHD, and caregiving stress.

Kellie uses straightforward, practical techniques to help people cope day to day. Sessions focus on learning new coping skills, shifting unhelpful thinking patterns, and improving how people relate to themselves and others. She brings a queer-affirming stance and a nonjudgmental approach to conversations about kink, non-monogamy, and body image.

Her work draws on several therapy methods so each person gets what fits them best. Kellie blends cognitive behavioral ideas with mindfulness and emotion-regulation strategies. She also weaves in narrative elements and invites creative expression when that helps someone tell their story.

Kellie aims to make starting therapy easier by working together on clear goals. She focuses on small, practical steps people can use between sessions. Her aim is to help clients feel more steady, more connected, and better able to manage life changes.

Clients can expect a collaborative tone in sessions and attention to identity and relationship differences. Kellie has seven years of clinical experience in one-on-one counseling. That background informs a calm, pragmatic style centered on each person’s needs.

How her approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify what matters to them and take small steps in that direction while accepting difficult feelings. It is useful for stress, anxiety, and coping with chronic health challenges. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical experiments to reduce symptoms like anxiety or low mood. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, offers concrete skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships, which can help with anger, impulse problems, and emotional overwhelm.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss options and tailor techniques to each person’s goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process where methods can shift as needs change.

Confirm the therapist's current session options before booking, as formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life by removing commute time and allowing check-ins during gaps in the day. It also lets people use simpler methods when needed, such as phone check-ins for a quick update or shorter sessions when schedules are tight. Licensed professionals can adapt these approaches for remote work so skills and plans remain practical and usable between sessions.