Elizabeth Kotkin, LMFT

Compassionate, practical therapy for life’s hard moments

About Elizabeth

Elizabeth Kotkin is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 35 years of experience in New York. She helps people manage depression, anxiety, grief, addiction concerns, and the stress of major life changes.

Background and approach

Her manner is straightforward and compassionate, aimed at making therapy feel manageable for busy parents and adults. She uses practical, person-focused methods to identify what is most helpful in the moment.

Sessions often focus on coping strategies for sleep, anger, and stress, and on rebuilding self-worth after trauma or loss. The work is collaborative and paced to fit each person’s needs.

Elizabeth has long experience addressing relationship struggles, intimacy concerns, and family-of-origin issues. She also supports people dealing with codependency, substance use, and the emotional fallout from divorce or separation.

Her practice includes attention to women’s midlife concerns and aging-related topics. Her clinical approach draws on Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Trauma-Focused work.

Those methods guide practical steps people can try between sessions, like behavior changes and new ways of talking to themselves. Sessions are available by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules.

Elizabeth describes therapy as a team effort where small, steady changes add up to meaningful improvement.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building trust. It helps people feel heard and then guides them to name priorities and try small changes that feel doable. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions interact and teaches practical techniques to shift unhelpful patterns; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress or new needs appear.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and rhythms. Video calls let people use visual cues and more in-depth conversation. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is low or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat or text messaging offers a flexible way to check in during busy weeks without being on camera.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?

She works with depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting strain, sleep problems, anger, and life transitions.

What is her general therapy style?

Her style is person-centered and practical, combining listening with hands-on strategies from approaches like CBT and Motivational Interviewing.

How much experience does she bring?

She has 35 years of clinical experience practicing in New York and previously in California, offering long-term perspective on common life challenges.

What are her credentials and location?

She is a licensed marriage and family therapist with California and New York LMFT credentials and practices in New York.

Which languages are supported for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.

How does cost and billing work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Start by clicking the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 35 years
Licensed: New York, California
Languages: English