Kathleen Cates-Richardson, LMFT

Kathleen Cates-Richardson is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 16 years of clinical experience. She offers practical, down-to-earth help for people coping with anxiety, depression, grief, and problems with addiction. Kathleen focuses on relationship and intimacy concerns as well as trauma and abuse, and she aims to make the first step toward change as simple as possible.

She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with client-centered and emotion-focused methods to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes. Sessions are conversational and goal-oriented, with time spent on what is causing the most pain now and what can change next.

Her practice also addresses sleep problems, abandonment concerns, and issues related to adoption and foster care. Kathleen brings experience supporting people facing caregiver stress, cancer-related challenges, and adjustment after divorce or separation. She also works with those affected by domestic violence and substance use concerns.

People can expect a calm, nonjudgmental space to talk through hard emotions and practical steps to cope. Kathleen emphasizes collaboration - she listens first, then helps set manageable goals and tracks progress together. Over weeks of work clients often develop clearer thinking patterns and new coping skills.

Kathleen is licensed in Iowa and Arizona as an LMFT. She conducts sessions in English and is available to work with international clients through online formats. To begin, she asks people to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a time that fits their needs.

How CBT and Client-Centered Care Work Online

Kathleen uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test small behavior changes. CBT sessions often focus on immediate problems like sleep trouble, low mood, or substance use and include simple practices to try between meetings.

She also draws on client-centered techniques that prioritize listening and understanding. That approach gives people room to describe what matters most to them while the therapist reflects and helps them clarify goals. Dialectical Behavior Therapy elements may be used to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills when intense emotions or trauma responses interfere with daily life.

Choosing the right approach is collaborative. Kathleen will discuss options, ask about goals and preferences, and together decide which methods to try. That makes sure work stays relevant and adjusts as needs change.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video lets people use visual cues for deeper conversations. Phone sessions work well for shorter check-ins or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging can fit into a busy day and are useful for brief check-ins, skill reminders, or following up between sessions. These options make it easier to schedule therapy around work, caregiving, or travel.