01 · Who Cathy works with

Cathy works with stress, Anxiety, family conflicts and anger management

Cathy lists 13 specialisms and 16 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Cathy chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Cathy's own words

What Cathy says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello, my name is Cathy O'Brien. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Michigan. I earned my LMSW from Michigan State University in 2011 and have over 10 years experience working in the mental health field in numerous capacities. My experience includes, but is not limited to, working with children, families as well as individuals with a wide range of concerns including: depression, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, relationship and/or self esteem issues. I am trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and have worked with many people who have experienced trauma such as abuse or grief. In addition, I have worked with people to help them establish stress management skills to help them overcome challenges and cope with whatever life throws their way. One of my favorite quotes by Catherine Pulsifer that I like to share says "We are all faced with challenges at some point in our life, challenges that we did not create. Challenges that happened beyond our control. The difference is how we respond to these challenges. You can adopt the attitude that there is nothing you can do, or you can see the challenge as your call to action."

I understand that talking to a stranger can be very uncomfortable and a scary and it is for that reason that I begin by developing a trusting therapeutic relationship in an effort to make you feel more safe and comfortable. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity and empathy. My approach combines a mixture of therapies (CBT, TF-CBT, MI, Solution Focused) based in the needs of the individual I am working with. As a result of COVID and some of the changes it brought, I have done this work both face-to-face in an school/clinic setting as well as virtually.

It takes a lot of courage to step outside your comfort level, acknowledge and ask for help. If you are ready to take the first steps toward your 'call to action', I will offer you support. I look forward to working with you!

Cathy O'Brien, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Cathy works

The 7 approaches Cathy lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Cathy lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Cathy's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Cathy runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Emotionally Focused TherapyEFT

Built for couples and rooted in attachment: the recurring argument is treated as a cycle two people are stuck in rather than as one person's fault. Sessions work to interrupt the cycle and get to what each person is actually asking for underneath it.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Cathy practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Cathy's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Cathy at this point.

2. Naming Cathy specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Cathy is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Cathy.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Cathy

Built from what Cathy actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Cathy's - Cathy has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMSW

Licensed in

Michigan

Licence

MI LMSW 6801093174

Licence number

6801093174

Licence expires

28 May 2028

NPI

1639592355

Years in practice

6

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Cathy's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Cathy. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.