Kathleen McCarthy
Experienced trauma-informed LCSW focused on practical change
LCSW Wisconsin
- Experience
- 34 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Languages
- English
About Kathleen
Kathleen McCarthy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who integrates cognitive behavioral strategies with trauma-informed methods to help people address a wide range of life challenges.
Background and approach
With 34 years of professional experience in Wisconsin, she draws on evidence-based approaches alongside mind-body techniques to support healing from trauma, manage anxiety and mood concerns, and address issues like grief, relationship strain, addiction, and challenges related to eating and sleep.
Her background also includes working with fertility and adoption-related concerns, compassion fatigue, and co-occurring difficulties that complicate recovery. She emphasizes practical skills and collaborative goal setting, using tools that help clients notice and shift thought patterns and behaviors that get in the way of well-being.
Kathleen brings specialized training in EMDR and hypnotherapy to trauma-focused work while also using mindfulness and solution-focused practices to build resilience and forward movement. Kathleen describes her style as holistic, attending to mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of health while helping clients clarify values and pursue meaningful changes through coaching and therapeutic support.
Online approaches for trauma and change
Kathleen blends cognitive behavioral techniques with trauma-focused interventions to address challenging symptoms and patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and building practical skills to shift them, which can be helpful for anxiety, depression, stress, and many everyday problems. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused approach that helps process distressing memories and reduce their emotional intensity, often used for post-traumatic stress and related symptoms. Hypnotherapy is also part of her toolkit and uses guided relaxation and focused attention to explore thoughts, beliefs, and habits that may interfere with goals.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. She works with clients to clarify goals, preferences, and responses to different techniques, adjusting methods over time so treatment fits the person rather than forcing a single model. This partnership helps identify whether CBT skills, EMDR, hypnotherapy, mindfulness, or solution-focused work will best support the client’s progress.
Online therapy with Kathleen is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to maximize flexibility. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, access care from different locations including international clients, and choose the format that feels most comfortable for ongoing work.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
34+ years
Licensed
Wisconsin
Languages
English