Kathleen Avila, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist with over a decade of experience supporting children and their families. She earned her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Oaks College. Her depth as a clinician is grounded in her extensive work across a variety of settings, including non-profit organizations, Head Start preschool programs, private practice, and work with the unhoused population. She has a particular passion for early childhood, having supported children ages 0–5 through direct clinical work and specialized in the Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (MAT) assessments for foster children. Her warm, empathetic approach is rooted in building trust and connection with both children and caregivers. Kathleen specializes in evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), Motivational Interviewing (MI), MAP: Managing and Adapting Practices, Seeking Safety, and the Reflective Parenting Program (RPP). In her leadership role at Little Otter, she is deeply committed to helping families heal and grow through a collaborative, strengths-based lens, while also providing a flexible and supportive space for fellow clinicians to consult and collaborate on the care of the families they serve. Kathleen lives in Glendale, California, and finds joy in spending time with her 10 godchildren and visiting Disneyland—cherishing the same joy and connection she aims to foster in the families she supports.