Dr. Kathleen Ayers, CA Psychologist
Compassionate, experienced psychologist focused on practical change
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How Kathleen works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- CA Psychologist
- Licensed in
- California
- Years in practice
- 32
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Kathleen
Dr. Kathleen Ayers is a licensed California psychologist with more than three decades of practice. She helps people struggling with stress, anxiety, anger, sleep problems, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, and coping with life changes.
She also supports people managing chronic pain, chronic illness, and the emotional impact of trauma and abuse. Her approach blends practical tools with gentle exploration of what led someone to seek help. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to teach skills for managing intense feelings and changing unhelpful patterns.
Background and approach
Sessions often include simple, doable homework to practice between meetings. Ayers draws on long experience with medical and pain-related issues and understands how frustrating it can feel when symptoms aren’t believed. She aims to offer a calm, accepting space where people can talk about physical symptoms, fatigue, or stress without judgment.
She also works with people facing bipolar symptoms, ADHD, phobias, panic, and somatization concerns. Her background includes many years providing individual and group support, and she has training in areas related to sleep and behavioral sleep strategies. She is interested in how diet and nutrition affect health, though she does not practice as a dietitian or nutritionist.
Sessions are offered in English from California. Dr. Ayers brings steady experience and practical interventions to help people manage emotional distress and build more workable daily routines.
What Kathleen works with
Everything Kathleen lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Kathleen's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Hoarding
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Somatization
Approaches Kathleen lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on identifying personal values and taking steps toward them while learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings. It can help people who feel stuck, overwhelmed by emotion, or unsure how to move forward. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and offers concrete skills to change patterns that increase distress. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, panic, and phobias. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness skills for managing intense emotions and reducing reactive behavior.Finding the best approach is a collaborative process. The therapist and client work together to see which methods fit the person’s goals, needs, and day-to-day life. Techniques can be combined and adjusted over time so sessions remain relevant and practical.
Online sessions make it easier to attend from different locations and to fit therapy into a busy schedule. Video calls allow for face-to-face conversation and skill practice, phone sessions are useful when video is not possible, live chat suits short check-ins, and text-based messaging can help with ongoing support between sessions. These options give flexibility for follow-up, homework review, and practicing new skills in real time.
Questions people ask about Kathleen
What concerns does she help with?
She supports stress, anxiety, anger, sleep problems, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, and coping with life changes, plus chronic pain and chronic medical conditions.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her style is practical and compassionate, combining skill teaching with space to talk about past experiences and current struggles.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 32 years of professional experience as a practicing psychologist.
What are her credentials and location?
She holds the credential CA Psychologist 18954 and practices from California.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling based on therapist availability.