LMFT, 22 years of experience
Hi, I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. My approach to therapy is person-centered and psychodynamic, and I use various modalities to help people become more connected to their true selves. My goal is to offer a supportive environment where people can fully express themselves, gain insight, and take steps toward personal growth and healing. In therapy, I work with people to explore, make sense of, and identify how their upbringing may be contributing to current problems in living. This awareness is often a catalyst for positive change. I also use mindfulness-based CBT to help people become aware of and challenge thoughts that aren’t true and are contributing to depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.
In the first session, we will get to know eachother and see if it feels like a good fit. I will ask you some questions to understand what is bringing you into therapy and gather relevant history. We will also discuss therapy goals.
I am a very good listener, curious, understanding and compassionate. Feeling seen, heard and understood is powerful and can be healing in itself. My goal is to create a safe space for people to be themselves.
I have been successful in helping adults resolve depression, grieve losses, reduce and manage symptoms of anxiety, and take better care of themselves.
I was trained as a Psychodynamic therapist and it underlies my work with people. An understanding of how your upbringing impacts you as an adult is helpful in discovering how challenges came to be so you can decide what's useful and what's not.
I meet people where they are in therapy. I am an active listener and offer empathy and unconditional positve regard to the people I work with.
I use CBT to assist people who are experiencing depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. It is often helpful to look at one's automatic thoughts and come up with a more balanced way of looking at things. Behavioral activation can reduce and improve symptoms.
Losing someone is very difficult and it is a honor to sit with someone who is grieving a loss. Additionally, there are grief stages that people go through that may be helpful to understand.
7 ratings with written reviews
May 24, 2025
She is wonderful lady! First session was successful! She welcomed me, and made a safe space to feel comfortable to talk about anything you struggling with! Can't wait for my next session!
May 23, 2025
First time meeting with Kathy S. I feel it’s going to be a great fit! She is kind, warm and thoughtful, and most importantly a good listener.
May 15, 2025
Kathy has a caring nature that makes you feel heard and seen.