Donna Kaufman, LCSW

Donna Kaufman is a licensed clinical social worker in New York with 14 years of experience. She helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, trauma, relationship strain, or low self-esteem. She also supports those facing addictions, eating concerns, parenting strain, and major life changes.

She keeps sessions straightforward and practical. Clients can expect a calm, nonjudgmental space to talk about what matters most. Donna listens carefully and helps people notice patterns in thoughts and behaviors that get in the way of feeling better.

Her work draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, client-centered listening, and narrative approaches. She mixes talking, skill-building, and small homework tasks so progress continues between sessions. The goal is useful tools, not jargon.

Diverse life situations show up in her practice, including caregiver stress, family of origin issues, multicultural concerns, and struggles with identity or self-worth. She pays attention to how background and daily pressures affect mood and choices.

Donna invites people to take gradual steps toward change. She focuses on practical strategies for coping, improving communication, and building emotional resilience. The work moves at a pace that fits each person’s needs.

How Donna’s approaches translate to online therapy

Donna uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thought patterns and try new behaviors. CBT is practical and often includes simple exercises to do between sessions, which work well over video or messaging.

She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help clients accept difficult feelings while focusing on valued directions in life. ACT often uses small experiential exercises and values-based goals that can be discussed and practiced across session formats.

Finally, Donna incorporates client-centered listening to create a supportive conversation. This approach emphasizes empathy and the client’s perspective, and it guides how she tailors tools and pacing to each person’s needs.

Finding the best approach is a collaborative process. She will talk with clients about their goals and preferences and combine methods that fit their situation. That planning happens together so sessions match what the client wants to work on.

Online formats offer flexibility and different ways to connect. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and screen-sharing for exercises. Phone sessions can be a shorter check-in or fit into a busy day. Live chat and text-based messaging let clients send thoughts between meetings and check progress in writing. These options can make it easier to keep momentum and practice skills consistently.