- CBT techniques
- DBT skills
- Motivational interviewing
About Kathy
Kathy Rubendall is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in North Carolina with 30 years of experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, bipolar disorder, and life changes such as career transition or post-bariatric surgery adjustment.
Her approach is client-centered and practical. She combines cognitive behavioral techniques with elements of dialectical behavior therapy and motivational interviewing. Sessions focus on concrete steps, skills practice, and problem solving aimed at everyday concerns like sleep, eating, work stress, and relationship patterns.
Kathy pays attention to attachment issues, including those related to international adoption, and to the effects of caregiving, chronic illness, and aging. She also addresses concerns tied to identity and LGBT issues, body image, and co-occurring substance use problems. Her work includes supporting people coping with trauma and family-of-origin patterns.
In sessions she listens for patterns that keep people stuck and helps them try alternative responses. That can mean learning grounding and emotion-regulation skills from DBT, testing new thoughts and behaviors from CBT, or setting small, achievable goals with a solution-focused focus. She uses motivational interviewing to support readiness for change when addiction or ambivalence is present.
Practical matters are part of the work. Kathy helps people develop routines for sleep and eating, strategies for managing stress at work, and plans for navigating major life transitions such as retirement or caregiving shifts.
How her approaches work in online sessions
Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding a person's perspective and building a respectful working relationship. It prioritizes listening and supporting people to set their own goals and decide what matters most to them.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Online CBT sessions often include practical homework such as tracking mood, trying small behavior changes, and testing helpful thinking patterns for issues like anxiety, depression, sleep, and eating concerns.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, teaches skills for regulating emotions and managing intense reactions. Skills practice for distress tolerance and emotion regulation can be useful for people struggling with mood instability, addiction, or high stress.
Deciding which approach to use is part of the work. Kathy will collaborate with each person to identify goals, try methods that fit those goals, and adjust the plan as needs and preferences become clearer.
The original biography does not specify session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by removing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins when needed, and offering flexibility around work or caregiving schedules.
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 concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, bipolar disorder, relationship and family issues, trauma, eating and sleeping problems, and life-change concerns.
How would she approach feeling stuck or directionless?
Her style is client-centered and practical, using cognitive behavioral and solution-focused techniques to identify small steps and test new behaviors.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 30 years of experience as a clinician providing care for a wide range of concerns.
What are her professional credentials and where is she based?
She is an LCSW licensed in North Carolina and practices from that state.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are costs handled and how do I begin?
Cost varies by location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To start, select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.