About Kathleen
Kathleen Cooley, LMSW, brings 40 years of social work experience to short-term, part-time practice. She focuses on common and painful concerns like anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and phobias. Kathleen treats each person with respect and listens closely to what they say.
She aims for straightforward, practical work in sessions. Kathleen often uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different responses. She also draws on client-centered and solution-focused ideas to keep sessions focused on the client's goals.
Background and approach
Kathleen has worked in many settings, including schools, college counseling, and community mental health. That range means she is comfortable supporting people with a wide span of needs - from adjustment difficulties to more serious mental health challenges. She has experience with sexual and other abuse, suicidality, selective mutism, and end-of-life concerns.
Her style is warm and direct. She believes it's important for people to feel heard and to be taken seriously. Sessions tend to be conversational, with practical strategies offered when they fit the person's situation.
Kathleen prefers video sessions because she likes being able to see clients, but she is also available for phone, text, and live chat. She works from Michigan and conducts sessions in English. The focus is on helping people manage stressors, improve relationships, and cope with life changes.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Attachment-based work focuses on how early relationships shape current patterns. It helps people notice how they connect, why certain relationships feel difficult, and ways to build safer interactions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It offers clear skills and experiments that people can try between sessions to reduce anxiety or manage mood. Trauma-focused therapy concentrates on helping people process painful events and reduce their ongoing impact on daily life.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about their goals and try methods that fit their needs. Adjustments are made over time so the plan matches what actually helps the person feel better.
Online sessions can make therapy more flexible. Video calls allow visual connection and richer interaction, while phone sessions work when video isn't possible or bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief check-ins or when someone prefers writing. These options let people fit therapy into busy schedules, reduce travel time, and pick the format that feels most comfortable for each step of their work together.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Trichotillomania
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 40 years
- Licensed
- Michigan
- Languages
- English
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