Donna Coakley, LCPC, LPC

Donna Coakley is a licensed counselor who brings a warm, interactive style to therapy. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 26 years of experience. Donna works from a respectful, nonjudgmental stance and helps people take the first steps toward change.

She uses client-centered methods that focus on each person's needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people spot and change unhelpful thinking and behavior. Dialectical Behavior Therapy and EMDR are also part of her toolkit when they fit the client's goals.

Donna has worked across many concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, self-esteem, ADHD, addictions, and relationship and intimacy-related issues. Trauma and abuse are explicitly listed among her focus areas, and she also addresses post-traumatic stress and first responder issues. She supports people facing parenting strain, sleeping problems, and communication difficulties.

Her background includes extensive work with military members and related concerns, and she lists experience with veteran and armed forces issues. Additional areas she addresses include domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction, hoarding, and process addictions such as gambling and pornography.

Donna is based in the District of Columbia and provides services in English. She frames therapy as a collaborative process and tailors sessions and treatment plans to each person's circumstances and goals.

How Donna’s Approaches Fit into Online Therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person's experience and priorities. The therapist listens closely and follows the client's lead to build trust and a workable plan. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviors connect; it offers concrete tools for managing anxiety, depression, and stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches practical skills for emotion regulation and improving relationships, which can help with impulsive behaviors and intense emotions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Donna will discuss goals and preferences and recommend methods that match the client's needs. That process is collaborative and can change over time as progress and priorities evolve.

The practical benefits of online therapy include easier scheduling and fitting sessions into a busy life. Online work can reduce travel time and make it simpler to check in during a break or between commitments. Because the biography does not list specific session formats, confirm the current options before booking to know what is available. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT worksheets, DBT skills practice, and client-centered conversations to an online setting so clients can continue making steady progress.