Kathleen Lynch Gaffney, LCSW

Therapist in New York

Kathleen Lynch Gaffney is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief and life changes.

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Licensed inNew York
License036173
NPI 1821147828
Experience35+ years
LanguagesEnglish

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Kathleen

Kathleen Lynch Gaffney is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief and life changes. She works with individuals facing depression, trauma, relationship and intimacy concerns, and issues such as ADHD, eating concerns, and compassion fatigue. Kathleen aims to create a steady, respectful space where people can talk about what feels hardest to them.

She brings 35 years of clinical experience in New York and a calm, listening approach to sessions.

Background and approach

Kathleen emphasizes understanding how early attachments shape feelings and relationships, and she uses that perspective to help people notice patterns that no longer serve them. She also draws on practical tools from cognitive behavioral work and mindfulness to support everyday coping. In sessions she focuses on clear, manageable steps rather than overwhelming lists of tasks.

Conversations often include learning new ways to handle strong emotions, practicing tools for anxiety, and planning small changes toward better routines. Kathleen also supports people dealing with HIV or AIDS as part of her practice focus. Her style centers on respect and dependability; she prioritizes being present and reliable for the people she meets.

Kathleen encourages honest conversation about goals and the pace of work so changes can fit real life. To begin, people complete a brief matching questionnaire and schedule a session. From there, Kathleen collaborates with each person to shape the work based on their goals and day-to-day needs.

Credentials

LCSW (New York): License 036173 · expires March 2026
NPI: 1821147828 · national provider identifier

Both are public records. A state board register will confirm a license and its standing, and the national registry will confirm an NPI. This directory copies what the therapist lists and checks neither.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Kathleen lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Family conflicts
Trauma and abuse
Grief
Depression
Relationship issues
Intimacy-related issues
Eating disorders
Parenting issues
Anger management
Self esteem
Career difficulties
Bipolar disorder
Coping with life changes
Compassion fatigue
ADHD
HIV / AIDS

Approaches Kathleen names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

How attachment and action-oriented therapies work online

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early connections shape current relationships and emotional responses. In plain terms, it helps people understand repeated patterns and learn different ways of relating that feel safer and more manageable. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on noticing thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them while committing to actions that match personal values. It suits people coping with anxiety, grief, or life transitions who want concrete steps to move forward. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes an accepting, nonjudgmental space where the person sets the pace and topics for work. It is useful when someone needs steady listening and support to sort through what matters most.

Kathleen treats finding the right approach as a collaborative process. She will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and day-to-day reality and then blend approaches that fit those needs. The aim is to shape therapy so it matches what someone wants to accomplish rather than forcing a single method.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, live chat can be a shorter check-in option, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options give flexibility to schedule care around work, family, or other commitments while keeping the therapeutic work consistent.

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Frequently asked

What concerns does she help with?

She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting strain, anger, self-esteem, career shifts, bipolar disorder, eating concerns, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. HIV and AIDS are also listed as a focus area.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Her style blends listening with practical action. She uses an attachment perspective alongside CBT and mindfulness to help people notice patterns and try small changes.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has 35 years of experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and ages in New York.

What are her credentials and where is she based?

She is a licensed clinical social worker, LCSW, licensed in New York and practices there.

Which languages are offered for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

She works online using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.

How does pricing work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions are delivered through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

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