- Family and parenting focus
- Practical stress skills
- Trauma aware approach
About Cathy
Cathy O'Brien is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) practicing in Michigan with six years of clinical experience. She welcomes conversations about everyday struggles and larger life changes, and she aims to build a trusting relationship that helps people feel more comfortable talking about hard things.
She focuses on common concerns parents and individuals face, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and parenting challenges. Cathy also addresses trauma and grief, eating issues, ADHD, and mood-related problems. Her background includes work with adoption and foster care, attachment questions, and neurodiversity concerns including autism and Asperger syndrome.
Cathy uses several approaches to fit a person's needs. She draws from client-centered methods to center the person’s perspective, cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, and emotionally-focused ideas to untangle strong feelings in relationships. She also uses mindfulness and motivational interviewing strategies when helpful.
She has experience working in school and clinic settings and has provided both in-person and virtual care. Cathy emphasizes practical skills like stress management and small behavior changes that make daily life easier. She aims to help people respond to challenges with clearer choices rather than feeling stuck.
Conversations with her are paced to what each person needs. She starts by listening, then collaborates on goals and helpful next steps. Cathy invites people who are ready to begin a change to take that first step toward their own call to action.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online care
Client-Centered Therapy places your experience at the center of the work and focuses on listening, empathy, and reflecting what matters to you. This helps when the goal is to be heard and to clarify what you want to change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect and uses small experiments and practice to shift unhelpful patterns; it often helps with anxiety, mood, and stress. Emotionally-Focused ideas focus on identifying and working through strong emotions in relationships and difficult moments, which can help when feelings feel overwhelming or confusing.Cathy treats choosing an approach as a collaborative process. She will listen to your concerns, try different ways of working, and adjust based on what feels most helpful. Together you’ll decide on goals and ways to measure progress so the work fits your needs and preferences.
The biography notes experience providing both in-person and virtual work in prior roles, but current session formats were not specified. Please confirm which session types are available before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. They can also let people choose audio-only when video feels like too much, or schedule sessions around school and work commitments to keep care manageable.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
6+ years
Listed in
Michigan
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns can be addressed here?
Common topics include stress, anxiety, depression, parenting, trauma and grief. Cathy also works with ADHD, mood disorders, eating issues, and related challenges.
How would therapy feel day to day?
The style is warm and collaborative. Sessions focus on listening first, then building practical skills like stress management and coping strategies.
What kind of experience does the clinician have?
The therapist has six years of clinical experience and has worked in school and clinic settings supporting people with a wide range of concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
The clinician holds an LMSW, which stands for Licensed Master Social Worker, and practices in Michigan.
Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
The original biography notes experience providing both in-person and virtual care in prior roles; please confirm current session options before booking.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work together?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.