Kathryn Sims

Practical, compassionate care for life transitions

LPC South Dakota

Experience: 8 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages: English, American Sign Language

About Kathryn

Kathryn Sims is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) practicing in South Dakota who focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, and a range of mood and life-change challenges.

Background and approach

She also supports clients facing relationship and family concerns, addiction, parenting and intimacy-related issues, career transitions, and conditions such as bipolar disorder and ADHD. Kathryn brings eight years of clinical experience to her work and emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassionate care.

Her approach is collaborative and individualized; she adapts conversations and treatment plans to fit each person's specific needs and goals. Kathryn uses evidence-informed methods drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy, client-centered techniques, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness work, and motivational interviewing to help people build skills, increase insight, and strengthen resilience.

She also attends to specialty areas including fertility and postpartum concerns, hearing-impaired clients, first responder and veteran issues, and challenges linked to isolation or family of origin problems. Kathryn is available in English and American Sign Language and offers multiple session formats to accommodate different preferences.

She frames the therapeutic process as a partnership aimed at supporting meaningful change and greater well-being.

Evidence-Informed Approaches for Online Care

Kathryn commonly draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps clients identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression. She also uses client-centered therapy, which focuses on providing a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where the client's perspective guides the pace and goals of work. When appropriate, elements of dialectical behavior therapy are integrated to teach emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills useful for mood and relationship challenges.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Kathryn treats that choice as a collaboration. She will work with each client to decide which methods align with their needs, goals, and personal preferences, adjusting techniques over time as progress and priorities evolve.

Online therapy with her is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility and accessibility. These options make it possible to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity through life changes, and choose the communication style that feels most comfortable while pursuing skills, insight, and coping strategies.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Kathryn commonly address?

She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem and depression, addictions, relationship and family difficulties, parenting and intimacy issues, career changes, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and related life challenges.

What is her general therapeutic style?

Her style is collaborative and compassionate, emphasizing respect and sensitivity while tailoring dialogue and treatment plans to each person's individual needs and goals.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has eight years of professional experience working with a range of mental health and life concerns.

What credentials and location apply to her practice?

She holds the LPC credential and is licensed in South Dakota with the designation SD LPC LPC20592.

Which languages are offered and can she see international clients?

Sessions are offered in English and American Sign Language, and she is not accepting international clients at this time.

In which formats are sessions available?

She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different scheduling and communication preferences.

How are costs and billing handled?

Cost varies depending on location and therapist availability, and sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What steps are required to begin working together?

To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule an appointment according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Trauma and abuse Grief Self esteem Depression

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue ADHD

Additional focus areas

Autism and Asperger SyndromeDivorce and separationFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFertility issuesFirst responder issuesHearing impairedIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

8+ years

Licensed

South Dakota

Languages

English, American Sign Language