Kathleen O'Connor
Compassionate LICSW focused on practical coping skills
LICSW Massachusetts
- Experience
- 25 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Addictions, Trauma and abuse, Bipolar
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Kathleen
Kathleen O'Connor is an LICSW with 25 years of clinical experience helping people manage addictions, trauma, mood disorders, anxiety, grief, relationship and family problems, and a range of life transitions.
Background and approach
She brings a practical, strengths-based focus to work on issues such as bipolar disorder, depression, ADHD, stress, parenting challenges, compassion fatigue, and intimacy-related concerns, while also attending to substance use, caregiver strain, and family of origin difficulties. Her style is interactive and collaborative, emphasizing respect, sensitivity, and empowerment.
Kathleen uses cognitive behavioral approaches alongside client-centered techniques, dialectical behavior therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness strategies, tailoring conversations and goals to each person’s needs. She has provided services in diverse settings including nursing homes, substance abuse treatment, criminal justice contexts, dialysis clinics, psychiatric emergency rooms, in-home and community-based crisis work, and telehealth.
Licensed in Massachusetts as an LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker), Kathleen draws on training from her MSW program and a certificate as a Specialized Mental Health Provider focused on severe mental illness and dual diagnosis.
Her experience spans ages 3 to 102 and she aims to meet clients where they are, check in frequently during sessions, and support short- or long-term goals based on individual complexity.
How Kathleen Integrates Evidence-Based Approaches Online
Kathleen commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify unhelpful thought and behavior patterns and develop practical skills for managing mood, anxiety, sleep, and cravings. Client-Centered Therapy is also central to her work, focusing on empathic listening, respect, and empowering each person to set their own goals and pace. When emotion regulation or distress tolerance is needed she may incorporate elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy to teach concrete skills for handling intense feelings and interpersonal challenges.Finding the right approach is treated as a collaborative process. Kathleen checks in frequently, tailors interventions to the individual, and works with clients to adjust methods and goals as needs evolve so the treatment fits the person rather than the other way around.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which provide flexibility for arranging appointments around life responsibilities and geographic limitations. These formats allow ongoing skills practice, brief check-ins between sessions, and continuity of care for people who need adaptable scheduling while working toward their goals.
Frequently asked questions
What problems does Kathleen commonly address?
How would you describe her therapeutic approach?
What is her professional background and experience?
What are her credentials and where is she based?
Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?
Which session formats are available?
How are fees and payment handled?
What steps are involved in beginning therapy?
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Licensed
Massachusetts
Languages
English