About Bernadine
Dr. Bernadine Knittel is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Colorado with 27 years of experience. She focuses on practical support for everyday problems like stress, anxiety, relationship strain, low self-esteem, career concerns, grief, and ADHD.
She listens first and helps clients set clear, achievable goals. She spent much of her career as a school counselor working with high school students on academic, social, and post-secondary planning. That background shaped a straightforward style that emphasizes problem-solving and forward steps.
Background and approach
She also worked with middle school students earlier in her career. Dr. Knittel earned a master’s degree in school counseling from Colorado State University and later completed a PhD in Education and Human Resource Studies.
She is a Colorado native and remains active in education as a part-time adjunct professor at the University of Northern Colorado. Her approach blends several well-known counseling methods. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques, Motivational Interviewing, and client-centered principles.
Sessions focus on practical ways to manage thoughts, build coping skills, and pursue valued goals. In sessions she aims to create a compassionate, respectful atmosphere. She partners with each person to hear their story, set meaningful goals, and work through what blocks progress.
The emphasis is on doable steps that fit everyday life. People who want straightforward guidance and a collaborative counselor often find this approach useful. Her background in schools and higher education informs a calm, experienced presence in therapy.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Dr. Knittel commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying personal values and taking committed action, which can help when life feels off course or when managing chronic worry. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns.Choosing an approach is a team effort. She will talk with each client about goals, preferences, and what seems most helpful. Together they will try strategies, adjust as needed, and focus on techniques that fit the client's daily life.
Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video calls let people use visual cues and a fuller conversation. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or when a simpler check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging can be useful for brief check-ins, practicing skills between sessions, or when writing feels easier than speaking. These options help therapy fit into work, school, and busy family routines.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
Also listed
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Career difficulties
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coaching
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Parenting issues
- Self-love
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 27 years
- Licensed
- Colorado
- Languages
- English
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