Rare expertise. Real understanding.

Ariel McKinney, PhD, LP, LSP

I am a Licensed Psychologist (LP) and Licensed School Psychologist (LSP) in the state of Texas — doctoral trained, APA-accredited, and built for this work.

I am the psychologist for the strong friend. The one whose first instinct is to process alone. The overachiever who is paralyzed by the pressure of perfection (*raises hand — hi friend*). The person who wants to break generational patterns that are no longer serving them but doesn't know how to move forward. The one carrying the emotional, mental, or financial load for their entire family while quietly wondering when it's their turn.

I know what it feels like to have your competence questioned in rooms where you've already outperformed everyone. I know what it costs to fight for yourself in systems designed to make you doubt yourself. I built this practice because people like us deserve a clinician who came prepared — and who understands, without explanation, exactly what we're navigating.

Here's exactly what I'm trained to do — and why it matters for you

The clinical expertise behind every session

My doctoral training is in School Psychology from an APA-accredited program at the University of Arizona, with a minor in Neuropsychology. That neuropsychology background matters — it means I understand what is happening in the brain and nervous system, not just in behavior and thought patterns. It shapes how I listen, how I conceptualize what you're carrying, and how I build a path forward with you.

Across hospital, community mental health, school, and private practice settings, I have worked with a wide range of presentations — and the breadth of that experience is intentional. Different presentations of anxiety: generalized anxiety, social anxiety, perfectionism, panic. OCD. Mood disorders including depression. Trauma across the lifespan. ADHD and Autism across ages and environments. I have also trained in the assessment and treatment of schizophrenia — which broadened my clinical exposure and assessment range in ways that continue to inform my work. I have sat with children figuring out who they are while everyone is watching and they have almost no agency over their lives — and with adults finally asking who they are outside of everything they were handed. What values feel genuinely theirs. What coping strategies feel healthy rather than inherited. That is the work I was built for.

I also served as a teaching assistant in the Department of Africana Studies at the University of Arizona, supporting sections of up to 120 students — because understanding the Black experience academically, not just personally, is part of what I bring to this work.

As a primary investigator, my doctoral research examined the relationship between ethnic identity, emotional intelligence, and academic achievement — what it actually means to thrive as a high achiever in systems that weren't built for you. All of this — the neuropsychology, the assessments, the research, the clinical settings, the cultural grounding — runs through every session. It is not modular. It all informs how I support you.

I am trained in EMDR, Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and somatic-informed approaches. This means we can work at every level depending on what you need — the thoughts, the patterns, the nervous system, and the experiences that don't have words yet. You are the expert on your experience. I bring the tools and the process to meet you wherever you are.

I am often not someone's first therapist. But I am consistently the one they make progress with. That is the depth of training and the breadth of experience that makes the difference.

Why this work is personal for me too

I've been in the chair. I know what it takes.

I genuinely love people — the complexity of them, the ways they surprise themselves, the moment something shifts and the light comes back on. That moment keeps me energized about this work every single day.

I've also sat in the chair. I'm the strong friend too — and I had to learn that resilience doesn't make you immune to needing support. Even knowing everything I know, I was too close to myself to see clearly. So I went to therapy. I did my own work. I do not ask anything of my clients that I haven't been willing to do myself.

I know that when you're struggling, the instinct is to cancel, pull back, handle it alone. This space was built with your comfort and safety at the forefront. You do not have to perform for me. You do not have to arrive put-together. You can bring the mess — that is what this space is for.

What I ask is simple: show up authentically. I know that requires trust. We will build it together.

Outside the office

The person behind the practice.

When I am not with my clients, I enjoy going on walks with my family, connecting with my village, and plotting my next recipe — Top Chef and Master Chef are two of my favorite cooking inspiration shows! I rewatch The Office on a regular basis, love grabbing cuddles with my daughter, and traveling is always on my mind. I also deeply treasure my individual rejuvenation time and intentional time with my husband.

The receipts

Education & Licensure

To verify licensure visit bhec.texas.gov · To file a complaint visit bhec.texas.gov/discipline-and-complaints

Ready when you are

Let's go to work.

You don't have to have it all figured out before you reach out. You just have to be ready to show up. That's enough to start.

Free 15-min consult  ·  Most major insurance accepted
BCBS  ·  Aetna  ·  United HealthCare  ·  UMR  ·  Optum