Elizabeth "Liz" McDowell, LCSW
Compassionate, practical support for parents and adults
Book with Elizabeth- Years in practice
- 17
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- Idaho, Utah, Maine, Arizona, California
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
- Focus
- Grief
About Elizabeth
Elizabeth "Liz" McDowell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 17 years in clinical practice. She brings steady, practical support to people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and parenting challenges. Liz works with individuals who need clear tools and calm guidance during hard times.
Her background includes work in inpatient and outpatient settings and a range of therapy environments. She uses approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, and client-centered methods.
Background and approach
Sessions often focus on skills people can use between meetings. Liz aims for straightforward, collaborative sessions. She listens, helps identify goals, and teaches coping strategies for problems such as addiction, relationship issues, self-esteem, and ADHD.
Parents find her practical orientation helpful when juggling family stress and communication struggles. Her work also covers more specific concerns including abandonment, attachment issues, blended family dynamics, body image, chronic illness and pain, caregiver stress, and intimacy-related topics. She helps people sort priorities, set boundaries, and plan next steps.
Therapy with Liz tends to combine problem-solving and mindfulness. She encourages small, measurable changes and checks in about what is or isn't working. The focus is on what the person wants to change and on making sustainable progress in daily life.
What Elizabeth works with
Everything Elizabeth lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Elizabeth helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- HIV / AIDS
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Elizabeth lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on values and small committed actions. It helps people tolerate difficult thoughts and keep moving toward what matters, which can be useful for grief, anxiety, and life transitions.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors and teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and parenting-related behavior changes.
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns in close relationships and how early connections affect current bonds. It can help people improve communication, resolve attachment issues, and address relationship and intimacy concerns.
Finding the right approach is part of therapy. The therapist will work together with the client to pick methods that match goals, needs, and comfort level. Sessions are collaborative and adapt over time if something isn’t working.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy flexible. Video is good for full conversations and nonverbal cues, phone sessions can fit a tight schedule or lower bandwidth needs, and messaging or live chat can work for brief check-ins and skill practice between meetings. These options help people fit therapy into busy family and work lives.
Questions people ask about Elizabeth
What concerns does Liz commonly address?
She helps with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, parenting issues, addictions, relationship and intimacy concerns, and work-related strain such as compassion fatigue.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and practical. Sessions emphasize coping skills, problem solving, and brief mindfulness practices drawn from CBT, DBT, and ACT.
What is her professional background?
She has 17 years of clinical experience across inpatient and outpatient settings, providing assessments, therapy, and ongoing support to adults and parents.
What credentials and region are listed?
She is listed as LCSW and practices from Idaho. Licensing details include LCSW in several states as noted by the clinician.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
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 to fit different needs and schedules.
How does cost work for therapy with her?
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 this therapist?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling sessions according to therapist availability.
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