Therapy for anxiety, trauma, & chronic pain
in-person & online therapy
in Smithtown, NY
Kathryn Graham, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Founder of Hearthside Psychology, PLLC
Clients come to me when they no longer feel in control of their mind or body,
and they’re ready to regain control of their lives.
My Therapy Specialties
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Anxiety is often characterized by feeling stuck in a thought spiral, feeling an intense surge of adrenaline in your body, and/or strong urges to avoid or prevent specific situations. Whether you find yourself experiencing an impending sense of doom, frequent panic attacks, nagging worries, or specific intense fears about contamination, loss, disasters, etc., we’ll work together to understand your fears, learn effective coping skills, how to recognize and challenge unhelpful anxious thoughts, and face your fears.
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Traumas can come in the form of singular events in which you experienced strong fears for your safety or the safety of loved ones or they can come from a prolonged period of neglect, maltreatment, or abuse as you were growing up. Regardless of the source, we’ll focus on understanding your body’s response to the trauma and learn effective emotion regulation skills, how to recognize and challenge unhelpful thought patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and learn skills for building more effective social relationships that respect and value your needs.
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Pain is considered chronic when it lingers for at least three months. Common causes of chronic pain include back problems, fibromyalgia, migraines, nerve damage, arthritis, and post-surgical complications. Many people living with chronic pain experience a loss of mental and emotional wellbeing as they navigate the physical changes brought on by pain. We’ll focus on recognizing and challenging unhelpful thought patterns, gradually begin engaging in more activities, and focus on relaxation and stress reduction skills to increase your sense of self-confidence and improve your quality of life.
Learn More
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
—Arthur Ashe
Kathryn Graham, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Hi there! I’m Kathryn. I’m a licensed psychologist in New York state offering in-person and virtual therapy. I offer evening appointments for greater flexibility after school or work.
I specialize in working with preteens (11+), teens, and adults navigating anxiety, trauma, chronic pain, depression, and ADHD. Through my background working in college counseling and working with children and families in private practice, I have learned many different evidence-based treatments to meet the needs of my clients. My approach primarily draws from CBT, ERP, organizational skills training, and trauma-focused therapies. I’m especially passionate about helping people navigate difficult life transitions, whether that be going off to college, changing careers, or a physical health setback.
My approach to therapy is active, flexible, and collaborative. I may be the expert on the treatment, but you are the expert on you! Therapy is meant to be challenging, but we each have our own limits. I take the time to check in and make sure that you are comfortable and feel confident in yourself as we continue to focus on difficult topics and on changing your current patterns.
Change in one area,
often leads to changes in others
Therapy With Me Is
Skills-oriented
Being curious about your patterns and pushing yourself to change
Tailored to you- I provide the treatment plan, but we proceed at your pace and comfort level
Compassionate and strengths-focused
Realistic
Starting Therapy Together
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01.
I offer every new client a free 15-minute phone consultation. It’s your chance to ask questions and share what you would like to work on. I’ll share a likely treatment plan so that you can decide if you would like for us to work together.
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02.
If you decide we’re a fit we’ll have a first intake session. These are an hour and will focus on going deeper into your history and current concerns so that we can solidify your treatment goals and plans. I’ll focus on introducing at least one coping skill at the end of this intake session.
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03.
Your therapy sessions are tailored to your unique goals and challenges, offering a space to gain insight, build skills, and create change. We’ll typically start with skills to regulate emotions then shift to skills for recognizing and challenging unhelpful thought patterns, and making behavioral changes.