Kathryn MacDonald, LCSW

Kathryn is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who works with young adults and adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship concerns, life transitions, self-esteem, perfectionism, and challenges with emotional regulation. She particularly enjoys working with clients who tend to overthink, place significant pressure on themselves, or understand their patterns intellectually but still struggle to change them emotionally or behaviorally. Kathryn also has a strong interest in helping clients understand how past experiences, relationships, and coping strategies continue to shape their lives today.

Kathryn’s approach is warm, collaborative, and direct. She believes therapy should be a space where clients can show up as they are, without needing to have the right words or everything figured out. With curiosity rather than judgment, she helps clients understand why certain patterns and behaviors developed, recognize when they are no longer serving them, and find healthier ways to meet the needs underneath them. Kathryn balances validation with thoughtful challenge, helping clients build greater trust in themselves and turn insight into meaningful, practical change.

Kathryn takes an integrative and holistic approach, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness, and psychodynamic concepts. As a certified yoga instructor, she has a particular interest in the connection between mental and physical health and may incorporate breathwork, mindful movement, body awareness, grounding, and progressive muscle relaxation when appropriate. She considers how factors such as stress, sleep, movement, and other physical experiences can influence emotional well-being and tailors her approach to what works best for each client.

Kathryn earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Iowa and her Master of Social Work from Aurora University.

Outside of work she...

Enjoys running and participating in long-distance races, creating her own yoga flows for whatever her body feels it needs at a given time, absorbing sunshine, consuming absolutely anything true crime-related, exploring new coffee shops and winding down with loved ones in her family lake house.