PuttingFamilyFirst

The therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp and we will earn a commission if you use our link - at no cost to you.

CK Portrait of Cara Kalakewich
Online therapist

Cara Kalakewich

Family-focused therapist and relationship guide

Credentials
LMFT
Experience
13 years
Licensed in
Pennsylvania
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Cara

Cara Kalakewich is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) practicing in Pennsylvania with 13 years of experience. She helps people facing relationship problems, family conflicts, addiction, trauma, and stress. Her style is warm and nonjudgmental, aiming to make hard conversations feel manageable for worried parents and individuals.

Cara creates a space where thoughts and feelings can be shared openly. She uses a collaborative, respectful tone and validates each person’s experience before exploring change.

Background and approach

Sessions focus on practical next steps as well as emotional understanding. Her approach looks beyond a single problem to consider family, cultural or religious background, work, and values. That wider view helps identify small shifts that improve daily life and relationships.

She also pays attention to how identity and intimacy intersect with coping and recovery. Cara uses a mix of therapy tools to fit each situation. She draws from evidence-based methods while keeping conversations direct and relatable.

The aim is to help clients build skills they can use between sessions. Many people come for help with anxiety, depression, parenting stress, grief, or substance use. Others seek guidance on communication, boundary setting, body image, or managing change.

Cara supports clients through both immediate problems and longer-term life transitions.

How evidence-based therapies translate to online work

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and changing behaviors that keep problems going. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress-related issues because it teaches clear skills to use between sessions.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy, or EFT, looks at emotional patterns in relationships and helps people express needs and feel understood. It is often chosen when repairing connection or improving intimacy is a main goal.

Cara treats finding the right method as a team effort. She will talk through goals, preferences, and what feels most useful, then suggest approaches that fit. The plan can change as needs shift so clients remain involved in deciding what helps most.

Online therapy offers several practical benefits for busy families and individuals. Video calls let people meet from home, phone sessions remove travel time, and live chat or text messaging can provide shorter check-ins or coaching between sessions. These options make it easier to keep momentum and fit therapy into daily life while using the therapeutic approaches described above.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she address?
Cara works with issues such as relationships, family conflict, trauma and abuse, addictions, anxiety, depression, grief, parenting stress, and intimacy-related concerns.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is nurturing and collaborative, focusing on honest conversation and practical steps while validating a person’s experience.
What is her professional background?
She has 13 years of experience helping people with family and relationship difficulties, addiction, and trauma-related concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, credentialed as PA LMFT MF000867, and practices in Pennsylvania.
Which languages are supported and can international clients reach out?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can take place via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Experience
13 years
Licensed
Pennsylvania
Languages
English

Next step

Talk to Cara

  • Takes a few minutes
  • Nothing to set up just to look
  • Stop at any point