Katherine "Katie" Saraga, LCSW

Katherine "Katie" Saraga is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in Illinois who brings four years of practice to her clients. She emphasizes a relaxed, supportive style and aims to help people identify strengths they can use to manage stress and change. Katie uses clear language and a sense of humor to make difficult conversations easier to start.

Katie focuses on helping people who face anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, and struggles with self-esteem. She also supports those coping with chronic illness, chronic pain, ADHD, dissociation, and sensory impairments. Sessions are aimed at practical steps people can use between meetings to feel steadier and more in control.

Her approach combines cognitive behavioral techniques with acceptance and commitment ideas and client-centered listening. She blends structure and skill practice with space to reflect, so people both learn new tools and feel heard. Mindfulness and dialectical behavior strategies are also used when helpful for emotions and stress regulation.

Katie describes her counseling style as thoughtful, empathetic, and down-to-earth. She prioritizes making therapy a straightforward, nonjudgmental place to talk about what’s hard and to try new ways of coping. Progress is paced to each person’s needs and goals.

People who choose Katie can expect sessions that focus on clear goals, manageable skills, and real-life problem solving. She encourages questions and collaboration about treatment choices. The overall aim is to help people feel more able to handle life’s changes and challenges.

How Katie Uses Therapy Approaches Online

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life actions to reduce anxiety and low mood. It often involves short exercises and homework between sessions to build new habits. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify values, accept difficult feelings, and take committed steps toward what matters. It is useful for stress, chronic health struggles, and ongoing worry. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathic listening and collaboration so the person feels understood and can lead the pace and goals of work.

Katie treats finding the right approach as a team process. She talks through options with each person and tailors methods to match goals, preferences, and daily demands. That means sessions can be more skills-focused for someone wanting tools, or more reflective for someone needing space to process feelings.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules. Video sessions allow face-to-face interaction for skill coaching and exercises. Phone sessions can be a good choice when bandwidth or camera use is limited. Live chat and messaging offer shorter check-ins and written reflections that can fit between appointments or during busy days. These options aim to make it easier to keep regular contact and apply strategies in everyday life.