Kalene McSwain-Faulkner

Kalene McSwain-Faulkner, LCSW, CSW, supports people coping with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, low self-esteem, depression, addictions, and relationship concerns. She also helps with parenting strain, sleep problems, career stress, and compassion fatigue. Kalene speaks English and Spanish and practices in Tennessee.

Kalene brings nine years of social work experience and has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2015. She draws on both her clinical training and life experience, including time served in the military, to work with people from diverse backgrounds. She is currently a doctorate student who has completed coursework and is in the research phase.

Her approach is practical and direct. Sessions focus on finding tools that fit daily life, not on one-size-fits-all plans. She often uses strategies from cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy to help people notice patterns and change unhelpful habits.

Kalene also uses attachment-based ideas and client-centered listening to clarify what matters to each person. She blends motivational coaching and narrative techniques when those methods fit a person’s goals. Progress is framed as steady work over time rather than quick fixes.

In sessions she listens first, reflects what she hears, and asks for honest feedback about what helps. Her goal is to help people use their existing strengths more effectively by aligning thoughts and actions. She encourages participation and patience as the best route to lasting change.

How therapeutic approaches guide online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It’s useful when someone wants less struggle with anxiety, avoidance, or getting stuck in painful thoughts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect and teaches practical skills to ease symptoms like depression, worry, or sleep problems. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on relationships and patterns that started early in life; it can help with trust, communication, and feeling safer in close connections.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will check your goals, try methods that seem to fit, and ask for feedback about what helps. Over a few sessions the plan can be adjusted so it matches your needs and preferences.

Practical benefits of online therapy include fitting sessions into a busy week and reducing travel time. Online work can make it easier to have shorter check-ins during a break or to join when leaving home is difficult. Because session formats were not specified in the biography, confirm current options before booking so you know whether video, phone, or another format is possible. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT, CBT, and attachment-informed work to an online setting to focus on skills practice, values-based goals, and clearer relationship patterns.