- CBT techniques
- DBT skills
- Motivational interviewing
About Kathy
Kathy Rubendall is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in North Carolina with 30 years of clinical experience. She works with people coping with depression, anxiety, grief, addictions, bipolar disorder, and relationship and family concerns. Kathy also helps with issues tied to body image, sleep, self-esteem, career changes, and compassion fatigue.
She uses a client-centered style that keeps the person’s own goals central. Sessions focus on practical problem solving alongside cognitive behavioral techniques. Kathy describes her manner as interactive and based on mutual respect and acceptance.
Over three decades she has supported people facing trauma, attachment issues connected to international adoption, and challenges related to military service. She has also worked with those needing bariatric surgery support and people dealing with chronic illness and caregiving stress.
Kathy combines elements of CBT, dialectical behavior strategies, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused work to address immediate difficulties and build coping skills. Conversations often include clear steps to try between sessions and strategies for managing cravings, mood swings, or low energy.
Her approach aims to help people untangle guilt and shame alongside other concerns, by looking at thoughts, behaviors, and practical choices. She encourages straightforward talk about what’s happening now and what the person wants to change. To begin, she asks people to identify a goal and then works with them to set achievable steps toward it.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting what matters to the person. It helps clarify goals and priorities, and centers the person’s experience in planning next steps.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It helps people test unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors to reduce anxiety, depression, or shame-related patterns.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides skills for managing strong emotions and improving distress tolerance. It is useful when moods feel overwhelming or when impulsive coping keeps causing problems.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Kathy will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and day-to-day life. She tailors the mix of skills practice, problem solving, and motivational techniques based on what the person wants to achieve.
Confirm the available session options before booking, as session formats are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit meetings into busy schedules, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce time spent traveling. Clients can use sessions to practice CBT exercises, learn DBT skills between meetings, and get coaching for behavior changes without changing their routine.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
North Carolina
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
Kathy works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, bipolar disorder, trauma, relationship and family concerns, and related issues such as body image and caregiving stress.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She uses a client-centered approach with cognitive and behavioral strategies to help people name difficult feelings, test unhelpful thoughts, and try concrete steps to change behavior.
What is her professional background?
She has 30 years of experience in clinical social work and has supported people through mood disorders, trauma, adoption-related attachment issues, and medical-related concerns.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in North Carolina.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people from other countries work with her?
She does not accept international clients.
How are sessions scheduled and paid for?
Costs vary by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time; specific pricing depends on the chosen plan.
How do I get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.