Profile / United States
Kayla "Kai" Coca, LMHC
New York
LMHC in New York - LGBT and Trauma care
See online therapy options- CBT and ACT methods
- Neurodivergent affirming
- Skills and reflection
About Kayla
Kayla "Kai" Coca is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New York with four years of clinical therapy experience. Kai previously did crisis work for many years before moving into ongoing therapy. They work with LGBT concerns, trauma and abuse, coaching goals, and ADHD among other issues.
Kai uses an eclectic, trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming approach. Sessions focus on the client's stated goals and on practical steps that fit their life. Kai treats clients as the expert on their own story and looks for strengths to build on rather than assuming a single path forward.
In sessions Kai combines methods from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), client-centered therapy, and psychodynamic ideas. That mix lets them offer concrete skill practice, attention to thoughts and behavior patterns, and space to reflect on longer-term personal patterns.
Kai commonly helps people with attachment concerns, autism and Asperger syndrome issues, body image, dissociation, eating and food-related concerns, and mood disorders. They also address relationship patterns that arise from family of origin problems, communication difficulties, and gender dysphoria or multicultural concerns.
Their work includes attention to BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture, chronic pain or illness, hearing-impaired needs, and life-purpose questions. Sessions aim to identify practical next steps, test different ways of responding, and reduce the hold of unhelpful thoughts and habits.
How Kai applies cognitive and acceptance-based methods online
Kai commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different responses. CBT sessions focus on identifying thought patterns, testing small behavior changes, and practicing concrete skills that reduce distress.They also draw on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which emphasizes noticing internal experiences and committing to actions that reflect personal values. ACT can help when someone wants to act despite uncomfortable feelings rather than be driven by them.
Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. Kai will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences. That choice can change over time as practical experiments guide what helps most.
Confirm session formats before booking since specific online options are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, shorten travel time, or allow check-ins during a break at work. Some approaches lend themselves to brief skills practice while others use longer reflective conversation, and Kai adapts sessions to the type of work needed and what the client prefers.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Kai address?
Kai works with LGBT concerns, trauma and abuse, coaching goals, and ADHD. Additional focus areas include attachment, autism, body image, mood disorders, eating issues, and multicultural concerns.
How would Kai describe their therapeutic style?
They use an eclectic, trauma-informed, neurodivergent-affirming approach. Sessions combine skills practice with reflective conversation and practical steps toward client goals.
How much clinical experience does Kai have?
Kai has four years of therapy experience following many years of prior crisis work. That background informs their practical, problem-focused approach.
What are Kai's credentials and where are they based?
Kai is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, NY LMHC, based in New York.
Which languages are used in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with Kai?
Kai does not accept international clients at this time.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions are provided via a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Kai?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.