Kathleen Pear, LCSW

Kathleen Pear is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in California who helps adults manage stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, grief, and life changes. She also supports people coping with chronic illness, aging concerns, caregiver stress, and relationship or family problems. Her style is warm, nonjudgmental, and supportive, aimed at helping people feel heard and understood from the first session.

Kathleen draws on approaches that include client-centered work, cognitive behavioral ideas, and psychodynamic thinking. She encourages people to notice their strengths and small successes. Together they use practical steps and gentle reflection to reduce distress and make daily life more manageable.

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, where she focused on mental health. She has 14 years of experience working in health and mental health settings with adults facing mood concerns, trauma, and illness-related stress.

In sessions she often combines talking about current problems with looking at patterns from the past that still affect daily life. She aims to help clients build coping skills for anxiety and depression while also exploring meaning, purpose, and ways to increase joy. Kathleen encourages clear goals and practical steps between meetings when that is helpful.

People who choose her usually want a steady, compassionate space to sort through difficult feelings and plan realistic changes. She frames work as a collaboration and invites people to move at a pace that feels right for them.

How Kathleen’s approaches can translate to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening closely and following the person’s lead so they feel understood and respected; it helps with building self-esteem and handling life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts affect feelings and behavior and uses practical exercises to reduce anxiety and low mood. Psychodynamic work explores patterns from the past that keep showing up now and can help when someone wants to understand repeating relationship or self-worth issues.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Kathleen treats this as a collaborative process. She will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and then try strategies that fit their needs, adjusting over time based on what helps most.

Confirm the session formats before booking so you know what is offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people work on coping skills and thought patterns from home while keeping focus on daily routines and practical steps that improve well-being.