Kathleen Pear, LCSW

Kathleen Pear is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California who helps adults facing stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, grief, and life changes. She is knowledgeable about aging and geriatric issues and supports people coping with health concerns, caregiving strain, chronic illness or pain, and the losses that can come with later life.

Her sessions are warm and non-judgmental. She aims to create a comfortable space where people can talk through what matters to them. Kathleen encourages clients to notice and build on their strengths and small successes.

She blends several practical approaches to fit each person. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps with unhelpful thinking patterns and mood management. Client-centered work keeps the conversation focused on the client’s goals. Psychodynamic ideas support understanding how past experiences shape current feelings.

Kathleen trained with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, where she focused on mental health. She brings 14 years of experience in health and mental health care settings to her practice.

People often seek her help when facing caregiving burdens, family difficulties, isolation, or identity questions in young adulthood and later life. Her style is steady and compassionate, aiming to help clients find more purpose and moments of joy as they make changes.

To begin, she asks clients to reflect on their priorities so sessions can be tailored to practical goals and meaningful steps forward.

How Kathleen’s approaches work in online therapy

Client-centered work focuses on the client’s goals and experience. The therapist listens closely, follows what matters most to the client, and helps them set practical goals. This approach is useful for people who want a supportive space to sort through decisions, losses, or role changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at patterns of thought and behavior that maintain anxiety or low mood. It includes simple tools and exercises to test thoughts and try new actions, which can be practiced between sessions to build momentum.

Psychodynamic ideas help people notice how past relationships and choices influence current feelings and reactions. This can be helpful for uncovering long-standing patterns that keep someone stuck and for creating new ways to respond.

Choosing an approach is usually collaborative. Kathleen will work with each person to identify what fits their needs and goals, and she may combine techniques from different approaches as treatment progresses. The plan can change as priorities shift.

Confirm current session options before booking, since formats are not specified here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, reduce travel time, and support continuity when health or caregiving demands make leaving home difficult. Different formats offer practical benefits like shorter check-ins, no need for video, or flexible scheduling to match work and caregiving responsibilities.