Kathleen Kaufman, LCSW

Kathleen Kaufman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Illinois with 24 years of professional experience helping individuals and families navigate life’s challenges. As an LCSW - a licensed clinical social worker trained to assess and treat mental health concerns - she works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family conflict, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, grief, and intimacy-related issues. Her practice also addresses concerns such as anger, self-esteem, career transitions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, compassion fatigue, and coping with major life changes.

Kathleen brings particular attention to attachment and abandonment issues, codependency, communication problems, family of origin dynamics, caregiver stress, and feelings of isolation or emptiness. She works with both women and men, recognizing how different life experiences shape each person’s needs. Her approach is grounded in respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and she tailors conversations and treatment plans to reflect each client’s specific goals.

Kathleen emphasizes practical, action-oriented problem solving while offering supportive guidance toward meaningful progress. She acknowledges the courage it takes to begin therapy and aims to make the first steps approachable and constructive for anyone seeking help.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Attachment-Based Therapy helps explore how early relationships shape current patterns of connection and trust. It can be useful for people dealing with abandonment, attachment issues, intimacy concerns, and family of origin dynamics because it focuses on emotional bonds and improving relational patterns.

Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s own experience and priorities, offering a supportive, nonjudgmental space where clients set goals and the therapist follows their lead. This approach is helpful for stress, self-esteem concerns, life transitions, and anyone who benefits from being heard and validated while finding their own solutions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides practical skills for managing strong emotions, reducing impulsivity, and improving interpersonal effectiveness. It is often used for intense mood swings, anger, impulsivity, and patterns that interfere with day-to-day functioning.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Kathleen works collaboratively with clients to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting techniques as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers flexible access to licensed professionals through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, maintain continuity during life changes, and receive ongoing support from wherever the client is located within the therapist's service area.