Leslie McRae, LCSW

Leslie McRae is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with thirty years of experience helping people manage anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem. He offers a straightforward, interactive style that aims to make clients feel heard and supported while learning practical ways to move forward.

Leslie focuses on common life struggles such as relationship and career concerns, coping with major life changes, and issues faced by LGBT people. He also works with aging and geriatric issues, codependency, gender dysphoria, HIV/AIDS, panic attacks, and social anxiety and phobia. That range lets him bring context to different concerns and tailor sessions to what matters most to each person.

His approach blends client-centered listening, cognitive behavioral ideas, and solution-focused methods. He uses conversation to identify patterns, then helps people test simple skills and small changes between sessions. The work aims to be practical and measurable so progress is more visible.

Leslie offers weekday phone sessions during daytime hours and asynchronous messaging between sessions. Messaging responses are typically within 24 hours. Evening and weekend sessions are not part of his schedule at this time.

To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a session through the Start Therapy button. This process helps align goals, logistics, and timing before the first appointment.

How his approaches shape online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person's experience. The therapist reflects what he hears and helps people name their goals so sessions feel collaborative and grounded in the client's priorities.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It uses clear exercises and experiments to test new ways of thinking and behaving, which can help with anxiety, panic, and low self-esteem.

Solution-Focused Therapy emphasizes small, practical steps toward change. Sessions often identify one or two actions to try between meetings and check what worked to build momentum.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. He will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and then suggest which methods to try. The plan can be adjusted over time based on what helps.

Session options and exact formats should be confirmed before booking. The therapist currently offers weekday phone sessions and asynchronous messaging between sessions, and he asks clients to schedule within his daytime hours. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week and to maintain steady progress through short check-ins and messages without requiring travel.