Cathy Smith

Cathy Smith, LPC brings 18 years of counseling experience to her work. She combines practical, down-to-earth listening with tools chosen to match a person’s needs. Her background in education and counseling shapes a calm, straightforward style. She asks clear questions and helps people find small, usable changes that add up over time.

She began her career working in a residential treatment program for young people, then taught in public, private, and alternative school settings. Cathy returned to school to earn a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology after earlier completing a master’s in Special Education and undergraduate studies in Sociology and Spanish. That mix of classroom and clinical experience informs how she structures sessions and explains skills.

In sessions she focuses on building a respectful relationship first. She uses client-centered work as a foundation and draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, solution-focused techniques, and psychodynamic ideas when useful. Her approach aims to build on each person’s strengths and practical resources rather than relying on jargon.

Cathy has worked with a wide range of concerns including anger, anxiety, depression, trauma and loss, relationship challenges, addictions, ADHD, and caregiving stress. She also supports people facing career transitions, body image concerns, and life changes. Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she accepts international clients.

Her style is straightforward and collegial. Cathy helps people learn skills for managing strong emotions and improving daily routines. She encourages small experiments and tracks progress so change feels doable instead of overwhelming.

How Cathy’s approaches work for online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person’s experience first. The therapist follows the client’s lead and offers support that fits the individual’s values and goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and then tests small changes to reduce distress and improve daily routines. Mindfulness Therapy teaches present-moment awareness techniques that can lower reactivity and help with anger, anxiety, and stress.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Cathy will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. She collaborates on a plan and adjusts methods as progress is tracked, so the process stays focused on what the client wants to achieve.

The therapist biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm available online options before booking. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, or remove travel time so therapy is more practical. Many people find that virtual sessions allow steady momentum while they apply skills between meetings.