JOHN KINNAIRD LCSW, EMDR II
Integrative Therapist | Fort Collins, Colorado
My name is John Kinnaird. I am a therapist in Fort Collins, Colorado — a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified EMDR Level II Therapist, and Certified Hypnotherapist. For more than 30 years I have partnered with adults (individuals, couples, and partners of all structures) who are ready to understand themselves more deeply and create lasting change in their lives.
My clients develop a compassionate understanding of themselves — their patterns, their history, and the deeper story beneath the surface. Additionally they build confidence, emotional strength, and more meaningful connections along the way. Your story matters. And understanding it fully is where lasting change begins.
To learn more about what therapy actually feels like with me: my style, personality, and how sessions unfold — visit my What It Is Like to Work With Me page.
My Story
I began my clinical career in 1996 working with adult and adolescent survivors of physical and sexual abuse. After earning my Master of Social Work from Arizona State University in 1998 I went on to work extensively in trauma, family systems, and addiction; developing and directing programs that served some of the most complex populations in my region.
In 2007 I opened Mindful Transitions as a private practice to complement my clinical work. I closed in 2012 to be fully present with my children and to focus on non-profit administration; serving as a Clinical and Executive Director for a Family Mental Health Agency, and Program Director at Project Self-Sufficiency from 2017 to 2021. In April 2019 I returned to my passion and reopened Mindful Transitions. Additionally in 2024 I expanded my practice to fully embrace couples and partners therapy; work I find among the most meaningful and rewarding I do.
Throughout my career my goal has remained constant; my goal is to understand how the mind, body, and relationship systems work together to heal pain and create lasting change.
Why I Became a Therapist
My years in a neuroscience laboratory studying the effects of stress on the body planted a seed that never left me. I became fascinated by the question of how we heal — not just symptomatically but at a fundamental level. That curiosity drove me toward psychology, social work, trauma treatment, and eventually toward the depth psychology tradition of Jung and the mindfulness pioneers of our era.
I believe therapy at its best is not just symptom management. It is the guided discovery of who you truly are — beneath the defenses, the patterns, and the stories you have carried for years. That discovery is the foundation of every lasting change I have witnessed in more than 30 years of practice. Lasting change requires more than technique alone. It requires genuine self-understanding developed over time in a real therapeutic relationship — grounded in clinically proven approaches with decades of evidence behind them. It is achieved through genuine self-knowledge, developed over time, in a real therapeutic relationship, grounded in clinically proven approaches that have stood the test of decades rather than trends. That is what I offer — and it is why I practice the way I do.
My Approach as an Integrative Therapist in Fort Collins
As an integrative therapist in Fort Collins I work beyond managing symptoms. My approach draws on the depth and richness of psychoanalytic and Jungian psychology alongside the practical skills of EMDR, CBT, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness. Because lasting change requires both genuine self-understanding and practical tools — I work at both levels simultaneously.
Furthermore I am deeply influenced by the modern pioneers of mind-body psychology of Jon Kabat-Zinn and Marsha Linehan; having studied their work and attended trainings they facilitated directly. This foundation informs everything I do in the therapy room.
In practice this means treatment is always individualized and organized around where each person actually is in their healing process. I think of this as the Stabilize, Recover, Evolve progression. We will prioritize practical stabilization and evidence-based skill building when that is what the moment requires. The we move into deeper recovery work when the foundation is solid working towards supporting the ongoing evolution toward greater wholeness and authentic living that makes lasting change. The breadth of my training and 30 years of clinical experience exist precisely so that the right approach is always available for the right person at the right moment.
EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS
- University of Wyoming, B.S. Psychology with a minor Health Sciences
- Arizona State University, Masters of Social Work (Direct Services)
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker #CSW.00992834
- Certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Processing (EMDR) level II
- Certified Hypnotherapist (C.Ht.)
EXPERIENCE
- 2 years as a technician in a neuroscience laboratory
- Over 30 years work with adult and adolescent survivors of sexual and physical abuse
- Individual, family, couples, partners and group counseling since 1998
- Addictions and substance abuse counseling since 1999
- EMDR sessions since 2006
- Hypnotherapy since 2007
- Mindfulness Based therapy since 2007
- Developed and facilitated Dialectical Behavioral Therapy program for Addiction 2007
- Developed services to assist families to recover from trauma in their homes 2008
- Private Practice serving adolescent and Adults 2007, closed in 2011. Reopened April 2019
- Program Director at Project Self-Sufficiency Aug. 2017 – 2021
TRAINING AND AREAS OF STUDY
- Pyschoanalytic and Pyschodynamic Therapy
- Jungian and Depth Psychology
- Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
- Acceptance and Commitment Theory (ACT)
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Hypnotherapy
- Neuroscience and consciousness
- Mindfulness and Spirituality
Getting Started With a Fort Collins Therapist
If you are looking for a therapist in Fort Collins who combines genuine depth with practical tools, warmth with honest challenge, and real relationship with clinical rigor; I would be honored to connect with you.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation to answer your questions and explore whether Mindful Transitions is the right fit for you. I want you to have all the information you need to make this important decision.
With Gratitude, John Kinnaird, LCSW, EMDR II, CHt.