Kathleen Kaufman

Kathleen Kaufman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Illinois with 24 years of experience. She helps people who are coping with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship strain, parenting challenges, grief, and concerns with self-esteem and intimacy. Kathleen works with both women and men and aims to meet clients where they are.

Her approach is practical and person-focused. Sessions center on listening first, then on concrete steps people can try between meetings. She uses methods drawn from Trauma-Focused Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness, and client-centered work. These tools are used to reduce overwhelming feelings, improve communication, and build better ways to manage emotions.

Kathleen emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion in sessions. She tailors conversations and treatment plans to each person’s needs and goals. Expect a collaborative process that mixes talking through problems with skill-building and real-world problem solving.

Her experience includes supporting people dealing with caregiver stress, codependency, abandonment and attachment issues, career concerns, and challenges related to ADHD or disruptive mood patterns. She also addresses family of origin questions, fatherhood issues, and forgiveness or guilt and shame.

When someone is ready to begin, Kathleen helps them set clear goals and practical steps. The focus is on steady progress and usable strategies, rather than jargon or lengthy theory. She recognizes that starting therapy takes courage and aims to make the first steps manageable.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Trauma-Focused Therapy focuses on helping people process painful experiences and reduce their day-to-day impact. Online sessions can guide clients through gradual steps to address traumatic memories and reactions while teaching coping skills to manage strong emotions.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns. In remote sessions this can mean reviewing relationship history, noticing current interaction patterns, and practicing new ways of connecting or setting boundaries that feel safer and more effective.

Kathleen will work collaboratively to choose what fits best. She explores your goals, your preferences, and what feels doable, and then suggests approaches or mixes methods as needed. Finding the right fit is part of the early work together rather than a one-time decision.

The original biography does not list which session formats are offered, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make scheduling easier, help people fit sessions into busy days, and allow work on skills and tracking between meetings. Some formats can use less bandwidth or be shorter for quick check-ins, while others support longer, deeper conversations. Discuss format preferences when you schedule so sessions match your needs.