Merry McKinnon

Merry McKinnon is a California-licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 33 years of professional experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, depression, and ADHD. She also focuses on life purpose and challenges that affect young adults.

She often meets people who only later recognize neurodiverse differences. Her background includes work with ADHD and learning differences, high-functioning Autism Spectrum (formerly Asperger Syndrome), Non-verbal Learning Disorder, and Auditory Processing Disorder. These conditions can show up as social anxiety, isolation, or trouble at school and work.

Many clients come in for motivational blocks, problems with communication, feelings of guilt or shame, or the draining effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder. She describes a relational style of working, meaning the relationship between therapist and client is central to the work. Merry uses a behavioral-cognitive lens to address thinking patterns and actions that keep people stuck.

Sessions are practical and conversational. The therapist helps people identify strengths, test small changes, and re-evaluate self-concepts that get in the way. She frames challenges in plain terms and looks for measurable adjustments rather than abstract promises.

Merry emphasizes that change can happen at any stage. She invites people who are wondering what comes next to consider how clearer routines, improved communication, and focused attention on priorities can affect daily life.

How evidence-based approaches guide online sessions

She works through a behavioral-cognitive lens, which means looking at how thoughts and behaviors interact. That approach helps when anxiety, procrastination, or low mood get in the way of daily functioning by identifying patterns and testing small behavior changes.

She also emphasizes relational work; the therapist-client relationship is used to explore self-concepts and communication patterns. This helps when issues involve guilt, shame, or social anxiety because the interaction itself becomes a way to try new responses and get feedback.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will help clients and the therapist decide what fits best based on goals, preferences, and how challenges show up in everyday life. That process is collaborative and can shift as needs change.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Many people find online sessions useful for fitting therapy around work, study, or caregiving. They can reduce travel time, make it easier to schedule shorter check-ins, or allow a quieter setting for focused conversation without needing a long commute.