Zina Mercil , LPC

Zina Mercil is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) based in Colorado who helps adults manage stress, anxiety, grief, and major life changes. She speaks plainly and focuses on practical steps people can use right away. Many seek her support for burnout, career transitions, caregiving strain, and the emotional toll of illness or aging.

Her style blends focused skill building with thoughtful conversation about values and purpose. Zina uses mindfulness tools to calm the body and attention, and she draws on attachment work to improve how people relate to others. She also uses techniques from dialectical behavior therapy to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

Clients can expect to discuss current difficulties and set small, achievable goals. Zina helps people notice unhelpful patterns, try new ways of responding, and track what changes feel useful. Sessions often include short exercises and homework to practice between meetings.

Over a decade of experience informs her work, especially with stress related to caregiving, chronic illness, cancer, and end-of-life concerns. She also supports people facing fertility challenges, isolation, and the aftermath of trauma or disaster. Her approach is collaborative and paced to each person’s needs.

Therapy is offered in English via video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. The subscription used for sessions can be canceled at any time, and scheduling follows the therapist's availability through the platform's matching process.

How Zina’s approaches translate to online therapy

Attachment-Based Therapy helps people notice patterns in close relationships and practice new ways of connecting. Online sessions can be used to talk through relational worries, rehearse conversations, and try different responses with the therapist's guidance.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and ease anxiety. These exercises translate well to video or phone sessions and can be practiced between meetings to track progress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. That might mean focusing on emotional skills one month and values and meaning work the next, with adjustments along the way.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for teaching exercises and observing nonverbal cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for brief coaching, quick skill reminders, and ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to continue consistent contact when schedules are tight.