Ekaterina V Shkurkin , LCSW, LICSW

Ekaterina V Shkurkin is a licensed clinical social worker with 40 years of experience across California and Washington. She guides people through stress, anxiety, addiction concerns, grief, and major life changes. Her work emphasizes strengths and the client's own ability to make choices that matter.

She focuses on practical, steady steps instead of quick fixes. Sessions are conversational and paced to the client's needs. Ekaterina helps people work through relationship strain, workplace stress, and the emotional effects of loss.

Many people also seek her help for blended family issues, caregiver stress, codependency, and substance use concerns. She addresses money and purpose questions, multicultural concerns, and seasonal mood shifts in everyday terms. Women's issues are among the areas she supports when they affect a person’s wellbeing.

Her approach values self-determination. She looks for strengths and helps clients apply them to real problems. Work is done gently and collaboratively, with attention to what the person wants to change.

Beginning therapy can feel daunting, and she acknowledges that. Ekaterina encourages people to take the first step and offers straightforward guidance to get started. The aim is steady progress toward clearer choices and more manageable days.

How evidence-based approaches fit online care

Many of the techniques she uses come from evidence-based therapeutic approaches that translate well to online formats. One approach helps people identify unhelpful thinking and then test new ways of thinking and acting to reduce anxiety and stress. This method is useful for worry, panic, and everyday stressors. Another approach focuses on building coping skills and gradual behavior changes to address addictions and difficult routines. It emphasizes small steps and practical tools to manage cravings and high-risk situations.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will review goals, try a few methods, and settle on what fits each person's needs and preferences. This is collaborative and adjusted as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when visual cues help. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day and to send quick updates between sessions. These options help people access consistent support while balancing work, family, and other obligations.