Kathleen McCarthy

Kathleen McCarthy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Wisconsin. She brings 34 years of clinical experience to her practice and focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, anger, trauma, and related concerns. Her work aims to help clients notice unhelpful patterns and try practical ways to change them. She often uses eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, commonly called EMDR, to address traumatic memories and the ways those memories affect daily life. Kathleen also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to look at thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going, and she incorporates hypnotherapy and mindfulness tools when they fit a person’s goals. These approaches are used alongside solution-focused techniques to build clear, doable steps forward. Kathleen describes her outlook as holistic, meaning she considers mind, body, and spirit when designing care. She works with adults who face mood disorders, grief, addiction concerns, parenting strain, or career and life transitions. She also lists experience with ADHD, post-traumatic stress, and first responder or veteran-related challenges. Her background includes substance abuse practice and a long history of clinical work in Wisconsin. She is comfortable working in English and accepts international clients. The practical focus in sessions is identifying small changes that add up to better daily functioning and more stable mood. To begin, she asks people to reflect on current goals and the barriers they notice, then crafts short-term steps to test and adjust in ongoing sessions.

How Kathleen uses EMDR, CBT, and hypnotherapy online

EMDR is a trauma-focused method that helps people process distressing memories so they carry less emotional weight. In practice it involves guided attention and memory work to change how a memory feels and how it affects daily reactions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It breaks problems into small parts and tests new ways of thinking and acting to reduce symptoms like anxiety, anger, or low mood. Hypnotherapy uses focused relaxation and suggestion to help people access different ways of thinking about habits, eating and sleeping issues, or motivation. It can be paired with other methods to support change in specific behaviors. Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences, try methods that seem to fit, and adjust plans based on what helps most. Clients are invited to give feedback so the work stays practical and goal-directed. The original biography does not specify which session formats are offered online, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy days, reduce travel time, and allow focused check-ins between other commitments. Licensed professionals can adapt EMDR, CBT, and hypnotherapy techniques to work in a remote setting when those formats are supported.