- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
- Attachment-based work
- Mindfulness and CBT
About Kumi
Kumi Pledger is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) practicing in Maryland with ten years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, relationship and intimacy-related issues, sleep problems, parenting strains, and concerns related to identity and mood disorders. Kumi offers therapy in English and Japanese and accepts clients from other countries.
Her work draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside attachment-based and client-centered approaches. She helps clients notice patterns in emotions and relationships, and she uses practical tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy when helpful. Sessions aim to reduce unhelpful behaviors and to improve day-to-day functioning.
Kumi integrates mindfulness and guided imagery into sessions to teach calming skills and ways to manage intense feelings. She also brings experience addressing abandonment and attachment issues, caregiver stress, communication and control problems, and family of origin wounds. These focuses are used to support people coping with grief, divorce, domestic violence effects, and career or parenting stress.
Her background includes work with people facing first responder stresses, gender dysphoria concerns, and mood conditions such as bipolar and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Kumi describes therapy as collaborative and practical, with attention to clear goals and habits that can be practiced between meetings.
To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule an initial session. The subscription used for sessions can be canceled at any time, and fees vary with location.
How her approaches translate to online work
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) focuses on identifying and naming difficult emotions and the patterns they create in relationships. It is often used when strong emotions feel confusing or when relationship cycles keep repeating. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at early relationships and ongoing attachment patterns to help people understand how they relate to others and to themselves. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes the person's perspective and supports exploration at the client’s pace, using listening and reflection to guide the work.Choosing the right approach is part of the process. Kumi will work collaboratively to match methods to the client's needs, goals, and preferences. That may mean blending EFT with CBT or DBT skills, or spending more time on attachment work depending on what the person wants to address.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm the current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It can also allow continued contact for people living internationally. Practical considerations such as quieter surroundings, lower bandwidth, or a need for a shorter meeting can help decide how to structure sessions.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
Maryland
Languages
English, Japanese
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
Kumi works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, relationship and intimacy-related issues, sleep problems, parenting and career concerns, and mood conditions such as bipolar and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.
What is her therapeutic style?
She uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy along with attachment-based and client-centered approaches and integrates mindfulness, guided imagery, CBT, and DBT skills as appropriate.
How much experience does she have?
She has ten years of clinical experience working with a range of emotional and relational concerns.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) practicing in Maryland.
Does she offer sessions in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English and Japanese.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She accepts international clients; confirm any cross-border details when arranging sessions.
How are sessions paid for?
Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.