Catherine Costa, LICSW
Practical, respectful support for life stressors
Explore online therapy optionsWorks with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Depression
How Catherine works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LICSW
- Licensed in
- Rhode Island
- Years in practice
- 3
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Catherine
Catherine Costa is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) based in Rhode Island. She brings three years of professional experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, anger, and mood concerns. Her approach is practical and down to earth.
She treats people with respect and sensitivity. Catherine focuses on clear goals and step-by-step problem solving. She helps people who are struggling with parenting challenges, career stress, self-esteem, and motivation.
She also supports those coping with grief, trauma and abuse, and life transitions.
Background and approach
Sessions are adapted to the person in front of her. Catherine draws from solution-focused work, motivational interviewing, and narrative therapy to shape the plan. That means sessions often include setting short-term goals, exploring values and motivation, and rethinking unhelpful stories people tell themselves.
She pays attention to practical issues like workplace stress, money concerns, and caregiver strain. Catherine also works with people around adoption and foster care-related challenges and with those handling compassion fatigue. Her style is collaborative and straightforward.
Starting therapy is framed as a team effort. Catherine helps clients set realistic steps and track progress over time. She encourages curiosity and gradual change rather than quick fixes.
What Catherine works with
Everything Catherine lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Catherine's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Life purpose
- Money and financial issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Catherine lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-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.
Approaches that translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding your perspective, and it helps when someone needs space to be heard and make their own choices. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and helps build concrete skills to reduce anxiety, anger, and low mood. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative method that strengthens a person’s own reasons for change and can be useful when someone feels stuck or unmotivated.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Catherine will discuss these methods with each person and adapt them to match goals, preferences, and the issues at hand. That means the plan can shift as progress is made and new priorities emerge, with the client guiding which tools feel most useful.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when deeper connection helps. Phone sessions are helpful when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text-based messaging let people share thoughts in the moment and fit support around work, caregiving, or busy days. These options make it easier to keep momentum and use therapy in everyday life.
Questions people ask about Catherine
What concerns does Catherine focus on?
She works with stress, anxiety, anger, depression, and related issues such as parenting, career strain, self-esteem, trauma and grief.
What is her general therapy style?
Catherine uses a practical, goal-focused style. Conversations center on setting concrete steps and problem solving together.
What background and experience does she have?
She holds a LICSW and has three years of professional experience working with clients on mental health and life stressors.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Rhode Island licensed independent clinical social worker (RI LICSW) and practices from that state.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats does she use?
She works via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs.
How do costs and scheduling work?
Fees vary with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time; to start, use the Start Therapy button and complete the short matching questionnaire to schedule.