IFSTherapists

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

LMFT

Cara Kalakewich, LMFT

  • Experience13 years
  • LocationPennsylvania
  • Focus areasRelationship, Family, and Trauma and abuse
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
Continue with Cara

Review online therapy options and next steps on BetterHelp.

About Cara

Cara Kalakewich is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) based in Pennsylvania with 13 years of clinical experience. She has worked extensively with people facing relationship and family challenges as well as trauma, addiction, anxiety, mood disorders, and a range of intimacy and identity concerns.

Background and approach

Cara emphasizes a collaborative stance that brings clients' values, cultural background, religious beliefs, career, and family systems into the work. Her style is nurturing and affirming, creating space for clients to share thoughts and feelings without judgment while also supporting shifts in perspective when helpful.

She draws from evidence-informed methods to address communication problems, codependency, grief, parenting struggles, eating and sleeping issues, and other life transitions. Clients seeking both coping strategies and deeper relational or emotional change may find her approach practical and relational.

Cara integrates the individual parts of a person’s experience into a coherent plan, working with clients to identify goals and try new ways of relating to themselves and others. She accepts international clients and offers multiple remote session formats, aiming to meet people where they are in their journey toward greater wellbeing.

How evidence-informed approaches meet online therapy

Internal Family Systems (IFS) invites clients to explore the many parts that make up their inner experience, helping people notice and relate differently to thoughts, emotions, and protective patterns. This approach can be useful for unpacking trauma responses, parts-driven anxiety, and conflicts between inner motivations. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and testing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, then practicing concrete strategies to reduce symptoms like anxiety, depression, and problematic coping habits. Its structured nature often supports measurable change in thinking and routine.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist partners with each person to clarify goals, strengths, and preferences and may blend elements from different methods to fit the client's needs rather than using a single fixed model. This shared decision-making helps tailor treatment to the issue at hand and the client's comfort with particular techniques.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging so people can access care from varied locations and schedules. These options make it easier to maintain continuity between sessions, rehearse skills in everyday contexts, and fit therapy into a busy life while working with licensed professionals experienced in remote care.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of issues does Cara address in therapy?
She works with relationship and family problems, trauma and abuse, addictions, anxiety and mood concerns, intimacy-related issues, and other challenges such as ADHD, grief, eating and sleeping problems, and career or life transitions.
What is Cara's therapeutic approach and style?
She takes a collaborative, nurturing, and affirming stance that encourages openness and exploration. Therapeutic work often combines relational focus with practical interventions to shift perspectives and improve coping.
How many years has she practiced clinically?
Cara brings 13 years of professional experience working with individuals and families on a wide range of concerns including addiction, trauma, and relationship difficulties.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist with the credential PA LMFT MF000867 practicing in Pennsylvania.
Can people who speak other languages or live outside the U.S. work with her?
Sessions are conducted in English, and she does accept international clients for remote work.
Which session formats are offered for remote therapy?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How are fees and payment arranged?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Cara?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing the short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Relationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issues

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsLGBTGriefEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualityWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

13+ years

Licensed

Pennsylvania

Languages

English