About Us

Welcome to Conestoga Counseling & Consulting LLC, where your well-being is our priority. Our practice is trauma-informed and abides by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration’s (SAMHSA) six guiding principles. These include an ongoing attention to safety; trustworthiness and transparency; support; collaboration and mutuality; empowerment, voice, and choice; and a recognition of the impact of cultural, historical, and gender-related issues. We believe in the inherent strength and resilience within everyone and are committed to guiding you on your journey. Rooted in the humanistic tradition, our goal is to help you learn to identify and live by your values in order to achieve congruence between your real self and your ideal self.

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Meet Kathy Richardson, PhD, LPC, NCC, RPT-S

Kathy Richardson, the founder of Conestoga Counseling & Consulting LLC, brings a wealth of experience and dedication to her practice. Her extensive educational background and professional credentials reflect her commitment to providing high-quality care and supervision.

Education

A first-generation college student from South Jersey, Kathy graduated Cum Laude from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English. She went on to earn her Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling from Montclair State University and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy from Temple University. Kathy was awarded a research fellowship at Loyola University Maryland where she earned her
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Counselor Education and Supervision.       

Credentials

  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), #PC003713, since January 2005

  • Registered Play Therapy Supervisor

    (RPT-S), since March 2011

  • Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), since October 2004

Professional Memberships

Kathy is an active member of numerous professional counseling organizations at the regional, state, and national level. She is the immediate Past President of the Pennsylvania Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (PASERVIC). She previously served as the membership committee co-chairperson for the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC) and was elected to the national board in 2025. She is both the Ethics Committee chairperson for the Pennsylvania Counseling Association (PCA), as well as the chairperson for the Legislative Outreach Subcommittee of PCA’s Government Relations Committee (GRC). In 2023, Kathy was asked to serve as a mentor for the Association for Play Therapy’s (APT) inaugural year “Play Forward: Mentoring for Play Therapists” program. In 2025, she was asked to serve as a mentor for PCA’s Emerging Leaders program.

Additional organizational memberships include:

  • Alpha Sigma Nu (Jesuit Honor Society), inducted 2020

  • American Counseling Association (ACA)

  • Greater Philadelphia Area Counseling Association (GPACA)

  • Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)

  • North Atlantic Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NARACES)

  • Pennsylvania Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (PACES)

  • Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC)

  • Pennsylvania Association for Play Therapy (PA-APT)

Teaching

In addition to owning and operating Conestoga Counseling & Consulting, LLC, Kathy is an Assistant Professor in the CACREP-Accredited Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program at Lebanon Valley College (LVC) in Annville, PA. She serves as a faculty member, college supervisor, and researcher working with graduate students as they pursue a Master of Science (MS) degree.

Kathy teaches a variety of courses that include:

  • Human Growth and Development

  • Advanced Counseling Techniques

  • Professional Standards and Ethics

  • Trauma Counseling

  • Counseling Children and Adolescents

  • Creative Arts in Counseling

  • Clinical Practicum

Research and Professional Presentations

Kathy is an active researcher, having published in both peer-reviewed journals and edited textbooks. Her research projects include:

  • Social Class and Access to Mental Health

  • First-Generation Counseling Students

  • Trauma-Informed Supervision

  • Gatekeeping in Counselor Education and Supervision

  • Spiritual Competency in Counseling

Other

Dr. Kathy Richardson, cited expert, Why Some Therapists Are Pushing Back on “Green Flag” Checklists-and What Healthy Standards Actually Look Like, Real Simple, July 12, 2026.

Dr. Kathy Richardson, cited expert, It’s Not Your Imagination: Annoying People Are Literally Taking Years Off Your Life, Reader’s Digest, March 31, 2026.

Dr. Kathy D. Richardson, cited expert, 8 Parenting Rules We’ve Outgrown - and 6 Worth Keeping Around, Parents Magazine, March 3, 2026.

Dr. Kathy Richardson, cited expert, The Worst Things People Say When Trying to Be Comforting, HuffPost, December 24, 2025.

Dr. Kathy Richardson, cited expert, Here’s What You Can Do if Your Child is Struggling with ‘Teraphobia’ or Any Other Intense Fear, HuffPost, October 21, 2025..

Dr. Kathy Richardson, sole featured expert, 5 Clear Signs of Gaslighting in a Marriage, According to a Mental Health Expert, Parade, March 23, 2025.

Dr. Kathy Richardson, cited expert, How to Deal With Family Arguments Over the Holidays, According to Experts, Newsweek, Nov. 27, 2024.

Dr. Kathy Richardson, cited expert, “How I Passed a Test to Be a Grief Therapist Without Really Trying,” MindSiteNews, January 14, 2023.

Personal

Kathy is a strong proponent of Dr. Bill Hettler’s Model of Wellness (1984) and strives to incorporate balance throughout her life. When she is not working, she can be found spending time with family and friends, reading, gardening, hiking, biking, and kayaking.

FAQs

  • You can schedule an appointment by calling us at 717-219-4774 or by using our contact form.

  • We offer individual, family, couples, and parent/child counseling. We also provide telehealth services.

  • Our approach is holistic and humanistic, focusing on the strengths and resilience within each individual. We are trauma-informed and abide by SAMHSA's six guiding principles: safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment, voice, and choice, and recognition of cultural, historical, and gender issues.

  • We accept Aetna, Highmark, Capital Blue Cross, United Healthcare, Quest, Cigna, and Geisinger.

  • If you are in crisis, please contact Lancaster County Crisis Intervention at 717-394-2631, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. For non-emergency support, you can call our office during business hours or reach out through the HIPAA-compliant secure messaging system in the client portal.

    The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 988.

  • If you need to file a complaint, please visit the following link: Instructions to File a Complaint

  • For more information about professional regulations and standards, please visit the State Board’s website: Consumer Information

  • All are welcome. We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of their background or identity.

  • We take your privacy very seriously and comply with all HIPAA regulations to ensure your personal information is protected.

  • Yes, we offer pre-licensure supervision, play therapy supervision, and various types of consultation including clinical case consultation, self-care consultation, and ethical decision-making consultation.

  • We offer training in play therapy, trauma-informed supervision, spiritually integrated practices, ethics, and wellness self-care.

  • Individual sessions range from $100.00 to $150.00 depending on the length of the session. Family and couples sessions are $150.00 per session. Individual supervision rates start at $100.00 per hour.

  • Please bring your insurance card, a form of identification, and any relevant medical records or previous counseling notes.