Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Anger management
- Depression
How Cathy works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LMSW
- Licensed in
- Michigan
- Years in practice
- 6
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Cathy
Cathy O'Brien is a Licensed Master Social Worker with six years of direct clinical experience. She practices from Michigan and helps people facing stress, anxiety, anger, depression, trauma, and other life challenges. Cathy uses straightforward, practical methods and aims to make first conversations calm and direct.
She focuses on building a trusting relationship first. That means listening, asking clear questions, and helping people feel comfortable talking about hard things. Cathy treats concerns like grief, self-esteem struggles, eating issues, and mood disorders with practical steps that people can use between sessions.
Background and approach
Cathy brings several therapy styles into her work, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. She adapts which methods are used to the person in front of her instead of following one single approach. Sessions often include skill practice, thought-challenging, and emotion-focused conversation.
She also has experience with adoption and foster care issues, attachment concerns, autism and Asperger syndrome, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, panic, post-traumatic stress, and self-harm. Cathy helps parents manage parenting stress and supports people coping with career and life transitions. Her work combines practical tools and collaborative problem-solving.
People who want a therapist who listens, offers clear strategies, and helps set achievable steps tend to find her approach useful.
What Cathy works with
Everything Cathy lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Cathy's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Anger management
- Depression
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Control issues
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Family problems
- Impulsivity
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trichotillomania
- Young adult issues
Approaches Cathy lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- 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.
How her approaches work online
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people spot thought patterns that increase anxiety, anger, or low mood and then practice new ways of thinking and behaving. It often includes short exercises and homework to try between sessions.Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on what people feel in the moment and helps them name, sit with, and respond differently to strong emotions. This can be useful for grief, trauma reactions, and intense mood shifts.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Cathy will discuss goals and preferences and then try methods that match the needs presented. The plan is collaborative and can shift if something isn’t helpful.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face interaction and visual cues. Phone sessions can be a simpler check-in when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text messaging are useful for brief check-ins, quick skill practice, or when written reflection feels easier to manage. These options let people fit therapy around work, parenting, or school commitments and keep continuity when in-person visits are not possible.
Questions people ask about Cathy
What kinds of problems does she help with?
Cathy supports people with stress, anxiety, anger, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, eating concerns, parenting strain, self-esteem, career stress, bipolar disorder, and ADHD among other issues.
How would you describe her therapy style?
She uses a mix of practical techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and emotion-focused work, with an emphasis on listening and collaborative goal-setting.
What is her background and experience?
She holds an LMSW and has six years of clinical experience working in Michigan in school, clinic, and virtual settings.
Where is she based and licensed?
She practices in Michigan and holds the credential LMSW, which stands for Licensed Master Social Worker.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
She does not work with international clients at this time.
What session formats does she provide?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.
How are costs and starting arranged?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability and use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to availability.