01 · Who Cicely works with

Cicely works with relationship issues, trauma and abuse and self esteem

Cicely lists 17 specialisms and 34 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Cicely chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Cicely's own words

What Cicely says about the work

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

Howdy!! 🤠 I’m Cicely Betts, a trauma-informed Licensed Clinical Social Worker proudly serving the state of Texas. I’m a proud graduate of the prestigious HBCU, Dillard University in New Orleans, LA (Class of 2005, B.A. in Business Management) and earned my Master of Social Work from the remarkable University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) in 2012.

With training across several evidence-based treatment modalities, I tailor each session to fit the individual needs of my clients. My experience has allowed me to work with individuals, couples, families, and groups-each with their own unique story and goals. Together, we’ll identify what you want to achieve and create a plan to get you there, because I firmly believe you are the expert on your own life.

My communication style is honest, direct, compassionate, and laced with a good dose of wit-because growth doesn’t have to feel clinical or cold. I love helping clients strengthen their self-awareness, communication, and relationships so they can live the lives they truly deserve.

Outside the therapy room, I’m intentional about maintaining a healthy work/life balance that gives me space to recharge and create. I love spending time with my family and friends and equally value my moments of solitude (yes, you can absolutely do both!). My creative side comes alive through drawing, writing, and designing functional tools that make both personal and professional life more organized, fulfilling, and fun.

At my core, I believe we all carry the power within us to heal, grow, and live our best lives-and it’s my privilege to help you tap into that power. 🌿

Cicely Betts, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Cicely works

The 7 approaches Cicely lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Cicely lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Cicely'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 Cicely runs a session.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyACT

Rather than trying to argue a painful thought away, ACT works on loosening its grip and getting on with what matters to you anyway. Sessions spend real time naming your values, then building action around them while difficult feelings are still present.

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.

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.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Works on the assumption that current patterns - in relationships, at work, in how you treat yourself - have a history, and that seeing the history loosens the pattern. Less structured than CBT, usually longer, and more interested in what comes up unbidden than in a weekly agenda.

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

Cicely 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 Cicely'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 Cicely at this point.

2. Naming Cicely specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Cicely 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 Cicely.

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 Cicely

Built from what Cicely actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Cicely's - Cicely 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

LCSW

Licensed in

Texas

Licence

TX LCSW 56817

Licence number

56817

Licence expires

31 May 2028

NPI

1730458589

Years in practice

8

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Cicely'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 Cicely. 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.