Leslie McRae, LCSW

Leslie McRae is an LCSW with thirty years of clinical experience. He focuses on relationship concerns, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, LGBT issues, and career challenges. He aims to create a kind, straightforward space where people can talk through what feels stuck and learn practical ways to cope.

Leslie uses a personable, interactive style. He listens closely and offers tools to try between sessions. He balances support with gentle challenge to help people move toward small, measurable changes in daily life.

Over three decades of practice have shaped a pragmatic approach. He blends client-centered work with techniques drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused methods. That mix helps people clarify goals, test new behaviors, and reduce symptoms such as panic or social anxiety.

Leslie also brings experience with aging and geriatric issues, codependency, gender dysphoria, and HIV/AIDS concerns. He regularly helps people manage life transitions and the stress they bring. His goal is to help each person increase coping skills and feel more in control of day-to-day challenges.

For scheduling, Leslie offers weekday phone sessions and asynchronous messaging between appointments. He typically responds to messages within 24 hours. To begin, people use the site's continue button on this profile and complete a short matching questionnaire to schedule a session.

How Leslie’s approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person’s experience. The therapist follows the client’s pace and priorities to build trust and clarity, which helps when people are unsure where to begin.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts and behaviors affect feelings. It uses simple experiments and skills practice to reduce anxiety, panic, and low mood through concrete steps.

Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on small, achievable goals and what already works. Sessions often identify one or two changes to try between meetings so progress can be measured quickly.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences rather than assuming one path works for everyone.

Leslie currently offers weekday phone sessions and asynchronous messaging between appointments, with message replies typically within 24 hours. If you want other session formats, confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let people use messaging for coaching between sessions.