- Grief and end-of-life support
- Anxiety and sleep help
- Attachment-focused care
About Kumi
Kumi Pledger is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) based in Maryland. She brings ten years of experience to sessions and aims to help people sleep better, worry less, and enjoy life more. Kumi speaks English and Japanese and accepts international clients.
Kumi uses a mix of approaches chosen to match each person's needs. She draws on attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationships shape current feelings. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help people spot and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Mindfulness and guided imagery are tools she often includes to calm the body and mind.
In sessions she works respectfully and with compassion. Kumi focuses on each person's strengths and practical steps that can be tried between meetings. She supports people facing grief, stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep problems, relationship and intimacy issues, and challenges tied to identity such as LGBT concerns and gender dysphoria.
Her practice also addresses caregiver stress, attachment and abandonment concerns, communication problems, addiction, parenting and fatherhood issues, and adjustment after separation or disaster. Kumi lists disruptive mood conditions and bipolar among the areas she helps with.
People can expect a conversational style that balances emotional listening with concrete strategies. She aims to empower clients to make choices that fit their goals and daily life. To begin, prospective clients follow the site's intake steps and schedule according to the therapist's availability.
Kumi uses a mix of approaches chosen to match each person's needs. She draws on attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationships shape current feelings. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help people spot and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Mindfulness and guided imagery are tools she often includes to calm the body and mind.
In sessions she works respectfully and with compassion. Kumi focuses on each person's strengths and practical steps that can be tried between meetings. She supports people facing grief, stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep problems, relationship and intimacy issues, and challenges tied to identity such as LGBT concerns and gender dysphoria.
Her practice also addresses caregiver stress, attachment and abandonment concerns, communication problems, addiction, parenting and fatherhood issues, and adjustment after separation or disaster. Kumi lists disruptive mood conditions and bipolar among the areas she helps with.
People can expect a conversational style that balances emotional listening with concrete strategies. She aims to empower clients to make choices that fit their goals and daily life. To begin, prospective clients follow the site's intake steps and schedule according to the therapist's availability.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesCareer difficultiesBipolar disorder
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAttachment issuesCaregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPhobiasPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
10+ years
Credentials
Maryland
Languages
English, Japanese
How therapy approaches guide online care
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships influence current emotional responses. It helps people understand patterns around closeness, trust, and fear of abandonment so they can try new ways of connecting.Client-Centered Therapy centers on the person's own perspective. The therapist listens without judgment and helps people find their own solutions and build confidence in their choices.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical ways to spot and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is often used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and mood regulation.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kumi will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences. Sessions can include skill practice, reflection on relationship patterns, and short exercises to use between meetings.
Specific session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It also gives therapists and clients more flexibility to try different techniques and track progress across sessions.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Kumi commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep problems, addictions, and identity-related concerns such as LGBT and gender dysphoria.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is compassionate and respectful, combining emotional listening with practical strategies like mindfulness and guided imagery to try between sessions.
What is her professional background?
Kumi has ten years of clinical experience and integrates multiple approaches to meet each person's needs.
What credentials does she hold and where is she located?
She is an LCPC in Maryland and practices from that state.
In which languages can sessions be held?
Sessions are offered in English and Japanese, and international clients are accepted.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with this therapist?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.