Kathy Rubendall , LCSW

Kathy Rubendall is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in North Carolina with more than 30 years of experience offering clinical care to people navigating difficult life challenges. As an LCSW she is trained and licensed to provide clinical social work services, drawing on decades of practice to support individuals through a wide range of concerns.

Her work includes helping people cope with depression, anxiety, grief, and addiction, and she provides bariatric support both before and after surgery. She also addresses anxiety related to sports performance and assists with career transitions. Kathy has treated mood disorders such as bipolar disorder, supported clients through trauma, and worked with attachment issues related to international adoption as well as problems connected to military service.

Her counseling style is warm and interactive, grounded in mutual respect, acceptance, and compassion. She uses a client-centered foundation combined with cognitive behavioral techniques, humanistic principles, and practical problem-solving strategies, tailoring interventions to the individual goals of each person she works with.

Kathy recognizes that choosing to seek help is an important step and views that decision as a meaningful move toward change. She aims to accompany clients with empathy and professionalism as they work toward positive, sustainable outcomes.

Therapeutic Approaches and the Convenience of Online Care

Client-centered therapy emphasizes the person's own goals and experiences, offering a supportive space where the therapist follows the individual's lead and helps build insight and self-direction. This approach is helpful for people seeking empathy, validation, and a collaborative partnership in therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing thought and behavior patterns that contribute to distress. It is practical and skills-oriented, often used for anxiety, depression, and mood management. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills, which can be valuable for managing intense emotions and improving relationships.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Kathy works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress is made.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and access support from home or elsewhere. These formats offer flexibility in how sessions are scheduled and how people engage, while still allowing licensed professionals to provide structured, goal-oriented care.