About Kathy
Kathy Branning uses practical, evidence-based techniques to help people manage stress, anxiety, addiction challenges, trauma, and low self-esteem. She brings 30 years of experience and holds IL LCPC and WI LCSW credentials. Kathy emphasizes straightforward strategies and steady support for people ready to change.
She starts by listening to each person’s story and identifying strengths they already have. Sessions focus on small, doable steps that reduce symptoms and build confidence.
Background and approach
Kathy helps people develop coping skills for panic attacks, mood shifts, and overwhelming worry. Kathy also addresses issues that often sit underneath symptoms. That includes feelings of abandonment, shame, and problems with impulse control.
She offers space to talk about relationship stress, communication problems, and the emotional impact of chronic illness or caregiving roles. When addiction or avoidance gets in the way, she works on motivation and practical routines that support recovery. For people struggling with money stress or life purpose, sessions include problem-solving and values-based planning.
She helps clients set realistic goals and track progress over time. Kathy aims to make therapy a collaborative process. She encourages questions and adjusts the pace to match each person’s needs.
Her goal is to help people move toward a more satisfying, manageable life.
Evidence-based approaches and online care
Many clients benefit from brief, focused techniques that target anxiety and mood symptoms. Cognitive-behavioral strategies help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors to reduce worry and panic. These techniques are practical and often include homework between sessions to build new habits.For trauma and addiction concerns, skills-based coping and relapse prevention tools are commonly used. Skills-based coping teaches ways to tolerate distress and manage urges, while relapse prevention focuses on recognizing triggers and planning concrete responses to stay on track.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, preferences, and current needs. Adjustments are made over time so the plan feels useful and realistic.
Online therapy offers flexible options to fit busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat supports shorter check-ins, and text-based messaging helps people touch base between sessions. These formats make it easier to schedule consistent care around work, caregiving, and daily demands.
Questions people ask
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What are the first steps to begin therapy?
What this counselor works with
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Experience
- 30 years
- Licensed
- Illinois, Wisconsin
- Languages
- English