01 · Who Kalene works with

Kalene works with stress, Anxiety, trauma and abuse and grief

Kalene lists 17 specialisms and 39 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Kalene chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Kalene's own words

What Kalene says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello! You can call me Kalene (Kay-lean)! I have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2015 and a social worker since 2013. I am experienced and what I like to call seasoned, as life has taught me many things through times of sorrow, pain, grief, and, other times, so much joy. My knowledge also comes from higher education and practice of that knowledge throughout my career. Each year, I meet licensing requirements by yearly obtaining continuing educational credits. Additionally, I am a doctorate student who completed all coursework with a 4.0 and in the research phase.

Further, I am well-rounded and have experience working with young and older clients. Serving ten years in the military taught me how to and the importance of working with an array of different people from various backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, religions, sexualities, and overall different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. My passion is in supporting others through multiple parts of their journeys utilizing practical, evidence-based approaches. Some therapy strategies may include cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing techniques, supportive therapy, narrative therapy, mindfulness, whole health, and a variety of other strategies or a mixture thereof.

I want you to know that therapy is a process. The changes you want to see will only happen after some time, more than likely, but will result from various interactions we will have together, which will make a difference. I often refer to therapy as going to a chiropractor. You do not go to a chiropractor and say give me a spine. You have a spine, and all you need is an alignment. This means you are the true expert in your life, and you do have what you need. My plan in this current stage of your journey is to help you use what you have; sometimes, it just takes aligning things differently.

I look forward to supporting you by first listening, clarifying what is heard, and advocating for your individuality, even in your partnership or marriage. Therapy strategies are not a one-size-fits-all. If you do not wish to have someone highly motivated, a positive and rational thinker who continually supports the use of your strengths and believes that YOU CAN every time, then I am not the one for you. I also incorporate many coaching and motivational principles as they are a part of my personality. Remember, you are unique, and for me to adjust what is needed, I will need your feedback and honesty regarding what is working or what you may need more.

I look forward to supporting you during this part of your journey. Please participate and trust the process. Trust is a big word, but it will be well worth the journey!

Kalene McSwain-Faulkner, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Kalene works

The 10 approaches Kalene lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Kalene lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Kalene's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Kalene runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Reads present-day relationship difficulty through the lens of how safety and closeness were learned early on. The therapeutic relationship itself is treated as part of the work, because it is where the pattern tends to show up first.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Emotionally Focused TherapyEFT

Built for couples and rooted in attachment: the recurring argument is treated as a cycle two people are stuck in rather than as one person's fault. Sessions work to interrupt the cycle and get to what each person is actually asking for underneath it.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Also listed

• Existential Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Kalene practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Kalene's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Kalene at this point.

2. Naming Kalene specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Kalene is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Kalene.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Kalene

Built from what Kalene actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Kalene's - Kalene has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

• “You offer sessions in English and Spanish. Does the work change depending on which we use?”

  People often reach different material in a first language than in a second. Worth naming before you choose.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Tennessee

Licence

GA LCSW CSW006322, TN LCSW LSW0000007322

Licence number

CSW006322

Licence expires

30 Sep 2028

NPI

1255757951

Years in practice

9

Gender

Female

Languages

English, Spanish

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Kalene's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Kalene. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.