About Kathleen
Kathleen Kaufman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Illinois with 24 years of professional experience. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, grief, trauma and parenting challenges. Kathleen works with both women and men and offers calm, direct support as people take steps toward change.
Her style is practical and respectful. Sessions focus on clear goals and small, doable steps. Kathleen listens first, then helps people try new ways of coping that fit their life and values.
Background and approach
She draws on attachment-focused ideas to understand how early relationships affect current patterns. She also uses client-centered methods to keep conversations grounded in each person’s priorities. Dialectical Behavior Therapy tools and mindfulness practices appear when people need skills for emotion regulation and stress management.
In sessions Kathleen often blends gentle reflection with specific strategies. That might mean coaching on communication, working through guilt or shame, or building routines to manage mood swings and impulsivity. She tailors the plan to practical needs like parenting demands or work schedules.
People describe her approach as compassionate and straightforward. Kathleen aims to make therapy useful from the first weeks onward. She encourages realistic goals and clear actions that support better day-to-day functioning.
How Kathleen’s Approaches Work Online
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns. Online sessions use this lens to notice repeating relationship habits and try new ways of connecting in everyday life. Client-Centered Therapy centers the conversation on the person’s priorities. The therapist follows the client’s lead and helps make sense of feelings while supporting whatever goals matter most. Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers concrete skills for managing strong emotions. Online work with DBT techniques often focuses on emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and practical tools to handle heated moments.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Kathleen will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and goals. She checks in regularly and adjusts focus as the client learns what helps and what does not. This makes the process feel shared rather than one-size-fits-all.
Online formats give flexibility for different days and demands. Video calls let people read facial cues and do deeper conversation, while phone sessions can be easier when video would be distracting. Live chat and text messaging work well for short check-ins, coaching between sessions, or when someone prefers written reflection. These options help therapy fit into busy schedules and varied routines.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also works with
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Mood disorders
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 24 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English