Kathleen Pear, LCSW

Kathleen Pear is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California who helps adults navigate stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, grief, and major life changes. She is especially familiar with challenges linked to caregiving, aging, chronic illness, and feeling isolated. Her manner is calm and nonjudgmental so people can speak honestly about what’s hard for them.

Kathleen focuses on practical steps that build on strengths. She listens first, then helps clients set small, doable goals. Sessions often include reviewing unhelpful thinking patterns, exploring past experiences that affect current feelings, and finding coping strategies for day-to-day life.

Her background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, with a concentration in mental health. She brings 14 years of clinical experience from health and mental health settings to her work with adults.

Her approach blends client-centered care with cognitive behavioral ideas and psychodynamic thinking. That means she supports people in the present while also noticing patterns that began earlier in life. The goal is to reduce distress and increase moments of meaning and purpose.

People who are caring for others may find particular benefit from talking through caregiver stress and boundary challenges. Kathleen encourages building on what already works, and trying small changes that fit each person’s daily life.

How Kathleen’s Approaches Work Online

Client-centered therapy focuses on you as the expert on your life. The therapist offers empathy and reflection so you can state goals and notice your own strengths. This approach helps when you want a steady, accepting space to sort through feelings.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. Sessions often include identifying unhelpful thoughts and trying new ways of responding. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, and managing everyday stressors.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Kathleen will work with each person to decide which methods fit best based on needs, goals, and preferences. That decision is collaborative and can shift as therapy moves forward.

Confirm the session formats offered before booking, since the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example, shorter check-ins during a lunch break, or scheduling sessions without commuting. It can also reduce time spent traveling and allow more flexible timing to match caregiving or work demands.