- Anxiety and panic
- Trauma informed care
- Skill focused work
About Cathy
Cathy O'Brien is a Licensed Master Social Worker who brings six years of clinical experience in Michigan. She works with people facing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and life changes. Cathy aims to make first conversations feel safer and less intimidating. She focuses on respect, sensitivity, and empathy from the start.
She uses a mix of approaches chosen to fit each person's needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a common part of her work to help change unhelpful thinking and behaviors. Emotionally-Focused and Client-Centered approaches guide conversations about feelings and relationships. Motivational Interviewing helps when someone is unsure about change.
Early work with children and families, and later clinical roles, gave her experience across many concerns. That background includes supporting people with OCD, ADHD, eating concerns, mood disorders, and panic attacks. She has also worked with people who experienced abuse and grief and has used trauma-focused interventions in those cases.
Cathy emphasizes practical skills alongside talk therapy. She teaches stress management tools, coping strategies, and ways to respond differently to difficult situations. Sessions are collaborative; goals are set together and adjusted over time.
Her approach is straightforward and down-to-earth. She encourages small, actionable steps and offers support through the ups and downs of change. If someone wants a calm, steady therapist who listens and helps plan next steps, she can be a good match.
How therapy approaches shape online work
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people identify and change thoughts and behaviors that worsen anxiety or panic. Sessions using CBT often include practical exercises and step-by-step work to test new ways of responding to fears.Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and building a trusting relationship. The therapist follows the person's lead, reflects feelings, and supports self-directed goals, which can be helpful when someone worries about opening up.
Emotionally-Focused Therapy looks at emotions and how they affect relationships and coping. It helps people notice patterns in emotional responses and practice different ways of connecting or calming themselves.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of therapy. The therapist will work together with the person to choose methods that match their goals, comfort level, and practical needs. That collaborative process includes trying things, checking how they feel, and adjusting plans over time.
If you are considering online sessions, confirm the current session options before booking since formats are not specified in the biography. Online work can make scheduling easier, reduce travel time, and let people fit sessions into a busy week. It can also make some treatment tasks - like practicing breathing exercises between meetings - simpler to include in everyday life.
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 kinds of concerns does Cathy help with?
She works with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, panic disorder and panic attacks, depression, trauma and grief, ADHD, OCD, stress, and relationship or family issues.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style mixes practical skills with supportive conversation. She emphasizes respect and empathy and adapts approaches to each person's needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has six years of clinical experience and additional years working in mental health roles prior to that time.
What credentials does she hold and where is she located?
She holds an LMSW, which stands for Licensed Master Social Worker, and practices in Michigan.
Can I see her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats does she offer?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as specific formats are not listed in the biography.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.