Kathleen McCarthy , LCSW

Kathleen McCarthy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Wisconsin. She brings 34 years of clinical experience to conversations about stress, anxiety, grief, trauma, and related concerns. Kathleen aims to help people notice patterns that get in the way of daily life and make practical changes that feel manageable.

She often uses therapy approaches that focus on thoughts, memories, and present-day coping. That can include techniques to reduce distressing reactions, work through traumatic memories, and build clearer habits. Kathleen describes her work as whole-person, addressing mental, emotional, and physical aspects that affect wellbeing.

Her background includes long experience with mood disorders, trauma and abuse, addictions, and sleep and eating concerns. She also pays attention to issues like parenting strain, career stress, first responder and veteran and armed forces issues, and compassion fatigue. Those areas often overlap, and she helps people untangle connected problems.

Kathleen draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, hypnotherapy, mindfulness approaches, and solution-focused work. In sessions she helps people set practical goals, test small changes, and notice what works. Her aim is to make therapy relevant to everyday life.

People who choose her work with someone who emphasizes health and wellness alongside symptom relief. Kathleen encourages clear steps, collaborative planning, and steady progress toward the things a person wants to change.

Approaches that guide online work

Many clients find Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) useful for breaking unhelpful thought and behavior cycles. CBT focuses on identifying specific thoughts and testing small behavior changes to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) aims to lessen the intensity of traumatic memories by using structured processing techniques to change how those memories affect daily life. Hypnotherapy involves guided focused attention and suggestion to support behavior change and relaxation for sleep, habit, or stress-related problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist works collaboratively with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and comfort level. That may mean trying one method first and adapting as progress is observed.

The original biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm the available options before booking. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let someone join from a location with quieter surroundings or use audio-only when bandwidth is limited. Ask about current session arrangements so you know what to expect.