How Athena works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LISW
- Licensed in
- Ohio
- Years in practice
- 12
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Athena
Athena McCaman is a licensed independent social worker (LISW) based in Ohio. She brings 12 years of clinical experience supporting people through anger, stress, anxiety, substance use, and trauma. Athena uses a practical, down-to-earth style that focuses on the person in front of her.
Athena centers sessions on what a person wants to change. She combines client-centered listening with skills-based work from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. That means sessions include steady listening, goal setting, and simple tools to manage strong emotions and impulses.
Background and approach
She has worked individually and in groups with people facing depression, trauma, relationship strain, parenting stress, and addiction. Athena also addresses concerns like abandonment, communication problems, codependency, and impulsivity. Her experience includes helping people navigate major life changes and the emotional fallout of past harm.
In practice she uses techniques from mindfulness and motivational interviewing to help people notice patterns and build new habits. She also offers EMDR for those processing traumatic memories when that approach fits their needs. Sessions are straightforward and focused on practical steps you can use between appointments.
Athena offers multiple online formats so people can pick what works for them. She speaks English and practices in Ohio as an LISW. If someone wants to try a different approach over time, she adjusts treatment collaboratively to match changing goals.
What Athena works with
Everything Athena lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Athena's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Midlife crisis
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Athena lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches for online work and emotion regulation
Athena blends client-centered therapy with cognitive behavioral techniques to create a practical online approach. Client-centered therapy focuses on careful listening and building a trusting working relationship so people feel heard. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) adds clear, step-by-step tools to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, which helps with anxiety, depression, and anger.She also uses dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills when intense emotions or impulsive behavior are a concern. DBT teaches emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills that can be practiced between sessions and applied to relationship or anger challenges. Athena will work with each person to choose which approaches fit their goals and preferences, and she adjusts the plan as progress or needs change.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for full sessions and skill demonstrations, phone works well for check-ins or when bandwidth is limited, live chat offers a quick way to touch base, and text messaging supports brief check-ins or reminders. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or busy schedules while keeping the focus on practical skill building.
Questions people ask about Athena
What kinds of concerns does Athena address?
She helps people with anger, stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and substance use issues. Additional focuses include relationship strain, parenting challenges, self-esteem, and ADHD-related struggles.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Sessions are client-centered and practical. Athena pairs listening with skills teaching from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Athena has 12 years of experience working with individuals and groups on mental health and addiction concerns. That background includes trauma work and substance use support.
Where is Athena licensed and based?
She is an LISW, which stands for Licensed Independent Social Worker, and practices in Ohio.
What languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats does she provide?
She meets by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire. Then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.