Kathleen Cooley

Kathleen Cooley, LMSW, brings 40 years of social work experience to part-time counseling. She understands that reaching out can feel scary and focuses on helping people feel heard as they talk about their lives. Kathleen welcomes questions and aims to make the first steps easier for anyone thinking about therapy.

She prefers a direct, practical style that uses Cognitive Behavioral techniques and Reality Therapy as core tools. Kathleen also practices Trauma-Focused Therapy approaches and adapts other methods as needed to fit a person's situation. Sessions typically focus on skills you can use between meetings and on talking through painful events at a comfortable pace.

Her background includes work in schools with children, with adolescents in college settings, and with adults across a wide range of concerns. She has experience supporting people through sexual and other abuse, suicidality, grief and loss, depression, anxiety, and selective mutism. Kathleen also helps with relationship strain, parenting stress, anger, and life transitions.

Clients can expect a warm, straightforward presence and practical suggestions tailored to their goals. She prefers video sessions to keep visual connection, and can also use phone or text when needed. Kathleen describes herself as flexible and willing to mix techniques to meet what each person needs.

Her practice reflects long experience and a focus on listening first. If someone is ready to begin, she asks them to reach out and start the matching process so sessions can be arranged.

How trauma-informed, attachment, and client-centered work adapt online

Trauma-Focused Therapy online focuses on helping a person process painful events at a pace that feels manageable, using steps to reduce distress and build skills for coping. Attachment-Based Therapy online looks at how early relationships shape current patterns, and uses conversations to notice and change those patterns in everyday life.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening, empathy, and the person's own goals. In sessions the therapist reflects what is said, helps people find their own direction, and supports choices that fit their values. Kathleen will work together with each person to decide which approaches feel like the best fit for their needs and goals, and she adjusts methods as the relationship develops.

She prefers video meetings so both people can see one another, and she is also open to phone or text when that better fits someone's circumstances. Please confirm the current session formats before booking. Online work can make it easier to schedule sessions around school, work, or caregiver duties, shorten travel time, and allow more consistent follow-up between appointments.