- Anxiety and depression
- Addictions support
- Adoption and foster care
About Kathleen
Kathleen Cates-Richardson is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 16 years of experience. She focuses on helping people struggling with anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, relationship concerns, and intimacy-related issues. Kathleen aims to make first steps less overwhelming by offering steady, practical support.
Her approach starts with listening. She builds an open space where people can name difficult feelings and worries without judgment. From there she and the person work together to set clear goals and small steps that feel doable.
Kathleen draws on several therapy styles to match what a person needs. She uses client-centered work to keep sessions focused on the person’s experience. She uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. She also integrates emotion-focused ideas to help with strong relationship and intimacy concerns.
Her background includes practice across Iowa and Arizona and many years assisting people through grief and major life changes. She also supports people facing adoption and foster care questions and challenges, caregiver stress, and health-related concerns like cancer. Her experience includes helping with sleep problems and addiction-related struggles.
Sessions are collaborative and paced to each person’s comfort. Kathleen encourages practical skills that can be tried between visits and reviewed in session. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to the therapist’s availability.
How her approaches guide online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following the person’s lead, which helps build trust and shape goals in a way that fits each life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and offers practical exercises to change patterns that cause distress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy adds skills for managing intense emotions and improving coping when stress feels overwhelming.Finding the best approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and daily life to decide which methods to emphasize. This collaboration helps tailor sessions so they address immediate problems while building long-term skills.
Specific session formats are not listed here, so confirm the available options before booking. In general online work can make it easier to schedule sessions around work, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when that's helpful. Some formats also use less bandwidth or let a person connect without being on camera, which can make a first step feel simpler. Licensed professionals can help pick the approach and format that fit a person’s routine and goals.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
16+ years
Credentials
Iowa, Arizona
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She helps people facing anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, relationship concerns, intimacy issues, and sleep problems.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her work blends client-centered listening with techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and emotion-focused methods to address thoughts, feelings, and relationship patterns.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 16 years of professional work experience supporting people through grief, addiction recovery, and major life transitions.
Where is she licensed and based?
She holds a licensed marriage and family therapist credential and practices with ties to Iowa and Arizona.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English, and she is open to working with international clients.
What session formats are available?
Session formats are not specified here; please confirm current options before booking so you know how sessions will be delivered.
How are fees and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist’s availability.