Elizabeth Kotkin , LMFT

Elizabeth Kotkin is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with a long career helping people navigate complex emotional challenges. With 35 years of clinical experience in New York and California, she focuses on supporting individuals facing depression, trauma, grief, and major life transitions. Her work also addresses social anxiety, isolation, shame, relationship difficulties, and sleep or parenting concerns.

She brings a compassionate, individualized approach to therapy, tailoring interventions to each person s needs and goals. Elizabeth has particular expertise in assisting women through midlife shifts, supporting recovery from addiction, and working through codependency and family-of-origin issues. Her sessions emphasize building resilience, clarifying values, and creating practical strategies for coping and growth.

Elizabeth aims to foster a respectful, nonjudgmental space where people can explore painful memories, repair relationships, and develop clearer self-understanding. As an LMFT she draws on evidence-based methods while maintaining a client-centered stance, helping clients move toward more satisfying and manageable lives at their own pace.

Approaches that translate well to online therapy

Elizabeth Kotkin incorporates client-centered therapy, which emphasizes an empathic, nonjudgmental relationship where the client s priorities guide the work. This approach helps people explore feelings, build self-understanding, and gain confidence in making changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is also a key method she uses - it focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and developing practical skills to manage symptoms like anxiety, low mood, and sleep difficulties. Motivational Interviewing is another tool often used when addressing ambivalence about change, particularly in addiction and recovery work; it helps people strengthen their own motivation and commitment to goals.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Elizabeth works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods fit best with their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts strategies over time based on what proves most helpful. Licensed professionals and therapists bring their training to the conversation while centering the client s priorities.

Online therapy offers practical benefits including flexible scheduling and easier access to care. Sessions by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging allow people to engage in therapy from home or while traveling, reduce barriers related to transportation, and make it simpler to maintain continuity of care during life transitions.