Dr. Kathy Cox , LCSW

Dr. Kathy Cox is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in California with 30 years of counseling experience. She focuses on building a trusting therapeutic relationship and takes time to understand each person’s needs, concerns, and goals for counseling. Dr. Cox emphasizes clients’ existing strengths and supports them in applying those resources to overcome challenges and move toward growth.

She has worked extensively with young, middle-aged, and older adults experiencing depressed or anxious moods, anger, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress. She is trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, which informs her work with trauma and related symptoms. Her approach blends evidence-based techniques with a client-centered orientation to meet the particular needs of each person.

In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Cox is a semi-retired social work professor and the author of two books - one on social work practice and another on self-care for professional counselors. Outside of work she enjoys yoga, swimming, and spending time with her dogs. She is widowed and has three adult children. Dr. Cox welcomes the opportunity to participate in clients’ healing and growth.

Therapeutic Approaches for Effective Online Counseling

Dr. Kathy Cox often draws on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help clients identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop practical strategies for changing behaviors and managing symptoms. CBT is commonly used for anxiety, depression, and trauma-related concerns and offers concrete tools for day-to-day coping.

She also emphasizes a client-centered approach, which prioritizes the individual’s perspective and builds treatment around their values, goals, and strengths. This approach supports people navigating relationship issues, life transitions, grief, and caregiver stress by keeping the work personalized and collaborative.

Mindfulness-based techniques are incorporated when helpful to increase present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity. These practices can support emotion regulation and stress reduction alongside other therapeutic work.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Dr. Cox works collaboratively with clients to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage in care, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, maintain continuity during life changes, and access licensed professionals and therapists from different locations.