Kayla "Kai" Coca

Kayla "Kai" Coca is a New York Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with four years of clinical experience. Kai previously did crisis work and moved into longer-term therapy to support people working through complex life issues. They list LGBT concerns, trauma and abuse, coaching, ADHD, and life purpose among their focused areas.

Kai uses an eclectic, trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming approach. They begin by asking what the person wants to change and what has already helped. Sessions focus on concrete goals and practical steps rather than abstract theory. Conversations aim to make decisions and next steps feel more manageable.

Sessions often mix skills-based methods with deeper exploration. Techniques drawn from acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are used alongside client-centered listening. Dialectical behavior strategies and psychodynamic ideas may appear when they fit the situation.

Kai works with people who want clearer direction after big life changes, who feel stuck at work, or who are sorting out identity and relationship questions. They also help people living with ADHD, chronic illness, dissociation, or body image concerns to build day-to-day strategies.

Conversations are collaborative and goal-focused. Kai emphasizes the client as the expert on their own life and looks for strengths to build on. To begin, the directory process asks people to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.

How therapeutic approaches shape online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and to take small steps toward those values even when feelings are hard. It is often used for life purpose questions and mood struggles. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on practical skills to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns; it is useful for anxiety, depressive symptoms, and daily problem solving. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emphasizes skills for managing intense emotions and improving communication, and it can be helpful when someone struggles with emotional regulation or relationship stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kai will discuss different methods and help decide which fit a person's goals, needs, and preferences. That choice is collaborative and may shift over time as progress and priorities change.

Please confirm the therapist's current online session options before booking, as specific formats are not listed in the biography. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. They also let people use audio-only interactions if that better suits concentration or bandwidth. Licensed professionals can adapt these methods to remote sessions so the work stays focused on practical steps and decisions.