01 · Who Kathrina works with

Kathrina works with addictions, family conflicts and parenting issues

Kathrina lists 13 specialisms and 13 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Kathrina chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Kathrina's own words

What Kathrina says about the work

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

Welcome to Better Help. I commend you for taking a significant step in achieving wellness and your personal goals. Before we begin our work together, I wanted to provide you with some information about myself. My name is Kathrina Cauckwell-Rafferty and I am a licensed clinical social worker in the beautiful state of California. My primary work over the last few years has been in substance use disorders and this has given me ample experience in helping people develop better coping skills, in assisting people to work through previous traumas, repair relationships and find much needed sources of support. I have also worked in specialty programs to provide therapy for youth and their families as well as domestic violence and sexual abuse survivors. I understand it can be challenging to reach out for help or implement change in our lives and behavior. It is my professional goal to provide my clients with the best care possible. I prioritize establishing a safe, non-judgmental space for each person I work with. I want to work with each patient to establish unique goals and treatment plans. I offer messaging, live chat, phone sessions and video sessions. I check messages twice daily, seven days a week. My calendar reflects my standard availability; however, I may have additional time so message me if you have any outside requests.

Looking forward to working with you.

Kathrina

Kathrina Cauckwell-Rafferty, on the BetterHelp listing · read 10 Oct 2026

03 · How Kathrina works

The 3 approaches Kathrina lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Kathrina lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Kathrina'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 Kathrina runs a session.

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”.

Dialectical Behaviour TherapyDBT

A structured skills-led adaptation of CBT built around holding two things at once: accepting yourself as you are and working to change. Teaches concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation and relationships. Developed for people whose feelings arrive at overwhelming intensity, and strongest-evidenced there.

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.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Kathrina 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 Kathrina'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 Kathrina at this point.

2. Naming Kathrina specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Kathrina 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 Kathrina.

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

3 questions worth asking Kathrina

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

• “You list both Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Client-Centred 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.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

California

Licence

CA LCSW 87327

Licence number

87327

Licence expires

31 Dec 2026

NPI

1497146955

Years in practice

10

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Kathrina'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 10 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 Kathrina. 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.