Dr. Bernadine Knittel, LPC

Dr. Bernadine Knittel is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Colorado who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, career changes, and issues around self-esteem and relationships. She draws on a long career in schools and higher education to support clients who are navigating life transitions and midlife concerns. Her approach is direct and warm, focused on hearing each person’s story and setting practical goals together.

She spent most of her career working with high school students in school counseling roles, helping with academic, social-emotional, and post-secondary planning. She also worked with middle school students and later moved into higher education as an adjunct professor. At the university she teaches courses and supervises students in both school and clinical settings.

Dr. Knittel earned a Master’s degree in School Counseling from Colorado State University and a PhD in Education and Human Resource Studies. She is a Colorado native and a retired educator with three decades in the field, currently maintaining part-time work as an adjunct professor at the University of Northern Colorado.

In sessions she aims to partner with clients, listening first and then helping set meaningful, achievable goals. Her style emphasizes compassion and sensitivity while using practical strategies to address what’s getting in the way of living a fuller life.

Her work draws from several counseling methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and client-centered ideas. She brings that mix to issues including aging and geriatric concerns, chronic illness and pain, compassion fatigue, parenting strain, and workplace stress.

How therapeutic approaches shape online care

Dr. Knittel uses several practical approaches to help people make change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-world actions to change mood and behavior. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages noticing difficult feelings without getting stuck and choosing actions that reflect personal values. Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s own experience, with the therapist offering empathy and support so clients can find their own solutions.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. She will collaborate with each client to identify which methods fit their goals, preferences, and life context, and adjust plans as needed. This means trying practical tools, reviewing what helps, and shifting strategies over time.

If you are considering online work, confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified here. Online therapy can make scheduling easier, allowing sessions to fit into busy days, reduce travel time, and let people use quieter surroundings or shorter check-ins when needed. Licensed professionals can also use phone or video in different ways to match comfort and technical needs, and the therapist will discuss which option works best for each person.