About Kathy
Kathy Smith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and big life changes. She draws on 40 years of experience and treats each person with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. Kathy believes people are doing the best they can with the skills they have, and she supports them in building new skills to move forward.
Her approach is practical and person-focused. Sessions center on clear goals and steps that fit daily life.
Background and approach
She adapts the conversation and plan to each person’s needs rather than using a one-size-fits-all method. Kathy uses tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to notice and change unhelpful thoughts and patterns. She also works with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas to help people clarify values and take meaningful action.
Mindfulness practices are offered to reduce reactivity and increase present-moment awareness. Motivational interviewing helps when someone feels stuck or uncertain about change. Client-centered principles guide the pace and tone so people feel heard and respected while exploring hard topics like grief, guilt, or caregiver strain.
She has worked across settings over four decades and brings that broad experience to current work in North Dakota. Kathy tailors sessions for issues such as chronic illness, caregiver stress, family of origin concerns, loneliness, midlife transition, and mood disorders. Her style is steady, direct, and encouraging.
Therapeutic approaches that translate well to online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice what they value and take small steps toward those values. It often focuses on accepting difficult feelings while committing to actions that matter. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at patterns of thought and behavior that maintain distress and teaches concrete changes to reduce symptoms. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a warm, nonjudgmental relationship where the therapist follows the client’s lead and supports their own problem-solving.Kathy will work collaboratively to find the best mix of approaches for each person. She listens to your goals and preferences and adjusts techniques over time. Finding the right fit is part of the process, and she helps people try different tools to see what works for them.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility for many people. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when that helps connection. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging make it possible to get ongoing support between longer sessions or to fit therapy into a busy day. These options make regular contact and steady progress easier to maintain.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Kathy address?
How would you describe her therapy style?
What background does she bring to therapy?
What credentials and location are on record?
Are sessions available in other languages or to international clients?
What session formats does she offer?
How is cost handled for sessions?
How do I begin working with her?
Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 40 years
- Licensed
- North Dakota, Minnesota
- Languages
- English