About Kathrina
Kathrina Cauckwell-Rafferty is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in California who focuses on practical, person-centered care. She draws on ten years of experience helping people cope with addiction, trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, and relationship strain. Kathrina aims to create a calm, non-judgmental space where people can talk about what feels hard and decide on small steps forward.
Her work has included time in substance use treatment settings, where she taught coping skills and supported people as they repaired relationships and processed past trauma.
Background and approach
She has also provided therapy in programs for domestic violence and sexual abuse survivors. That background gives her hands-on experience with safety planning and trauma-informed supports. Kathrina uses approaches that keep the person central to the process.
She combines client-centered methods with tools from dialectical behavior therapy and motivational interviewing to help people build skills, manage intense emotions, and find motivation for change. Sessions are paced to match each person’s goals and comfort level. She offers several ways to connect, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.
Kathrina checks messages twice daily and structures her schedule to allow for routine check-ins alongside occasional flexibility. Her aim in each session is straightforward: listen, reduce overwhelm, and work toward concrete changes the person can use in daily life. She supports people as they set goals and try out new ways of coping between sessions.
How these approaches work online
Client-Centered Therapy starts by focusing on the person’s own goals and perspective. The therapist listens without judgment and helps the person clarify what matters most and take steps toward those goals. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches practical skills for managing strong emotions and reducing impulsive behavior, which can help with anger, self-harm urges, or intense relationship conflicts. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative way to build readiness for change by exploring ambivalence and strengthening personal motivation.Finding the right combination of methods is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the person about symptoms, life goals, and preferences and then suggest approaches to try. That plan can change over time based on what helps most, and the therapist will check in regularly to adjust methods and pace together.
Online formats offer flexibility for people balancing busy schedules or limited ability to travel. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging suit quick updates, ongoing support between sessions, or people who prefer writing over speaking. These choices make it easier to fit therapy into daily life.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Addictions
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
Also works with
- Adoption and foster care
- Anger management
- Blended family issues
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Multicultural concerns
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English