About Dr. Erin McKnew
You Learned to Hold It All Together
Many of the adults who find their way to my practice do not lack insight, resilience, or motivation. They are responsible, dependable people who learned early on to manage demands, anticipate others’ needs, and keep things running smoothly.
Over time, this way of functioning can come at a cost.
You may feel chronically tense, tired, or disconnected from yourself. Rest can feel uncomfortable. Slowing down may bring guilt rather than relief. Even when life looks fine on paper, something feels off, as though you have been living in response to expectations rather than from a place of choice.
Therapy becomes a place to pause, reflect, and begin relating to yourself and the outside world differently.
Why I Started My Practice
For much of my career, I worked in a large healthcare system, supporting adults referred for stress-related concerns. Over time, a clear pattern emerged. Many of the people I worked with were highly capable and outwardly, functioned well.
What stood out was how much effort that took.
By the time they arrived in therapy, the impact of long-standing self-reliance was showing up quietly but persistently. Not as crisis, but as depletion. Not as chaos, but as a narrowing of life.
When these individuals allowed themselves to engage in therapy, meaningful change followed. By understanding and addressing patterns that once helped them cope, they began to relate to themselves differently. Life became less organized around constant output and more guided by clarity, choice, and self-respect.
I started my private practice to work specifically with this resilient group of adults, helping them reconnect with themselves and reshape patterns that once served a purpose but now hold them back.
The Work We’ll Do Together
I am a Clinical Psychologist with 18 years of experience, offering a warm, collaborative, trauma-informed space. Many of the concerns that bring people to therapy, including burnout, people-pleasing, perfectionism, or codependency, developed for understandable reasons. At one time, these adaptations helped you cope, belong, or feel safe. Over time, however, they may leave you depleted, disconnected, or unsure of your needs.
In our work together, we can focus on:
Understanding your patterns and how they influence your relationships, self-care, and choices
Identifying where old coping strategies are no longer serving you and the costs they carry today
Practicing ways of relating to yourself and others that are grounded, flexible, and self-respecting
Therapy helps you step out of old survival responses and into something more sustainable and connected. You do not have to keep pushing through, being strong, or settling for fine.
Change is possible and often begins by getting curious about who you have always been and giving yourself permission to matter now.
Ready to see how therapy can help you show up differently? Learn more about my services and fees or schedule your free consultation.
Credentials & Experience
PsyD in Clinical Psychology from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California
Licensed Psychologist in California (PSY26495) and Hawaii (PSY-2242)
Specialist in burnout, codependency, people-pleasing and perfectionism
Over a decade of experience in primary care and integrated behavioral health
If you’re wondering about what therapy costs, you can find those details here. I keep things transparent and straightforward, so you know what to expect from the start.
Choosing a therapist matters.
A free consultation gives you a chance to ask questions, share a bit about what brings you here, and get a sense of whether working together feels right.