01 · Who Cilicia works with

Cilicia works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and trauma and abuse

Cilicia lists 5 specialisms and 15 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Cilicia chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Cilicia's own words

What Cilicia says about the work

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

As a Black woman therapist with a decade of clinical experience, I specialize in supporting individuals navigating complex emotional landscapes. My practice centers on empowering clients through challenges related to depression, anxiety, relationship dynamics, and trauma.

I bring a deeply compassionate approach to addressing women's issues, mood disorders, and multicultural experiences. My therapeutic work focuses on helping clients develop self-love, improve communication, and explore life purpose while honoring their unique cultural identities and personal journeys.

My expertise spans critical areas including stress management, relationship healing, and supporting individuals through significant life transitions like pregnancy and childbirth. I am committed to creating a supportive, affirming space where clients can explore their experiences, build resilience, and cultivate meaningful personal growth.

Drawing from evidence-based practices, I work collaboratively with clients to develop personalized strategies that promote emotional wellness, self-understanding, and transformative healing.

Cilicia Gooden, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Cilicia works

The 5 approaches Cilicia lists, in plain English

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

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.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

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.

Also listed

• Somatic Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Cilicia 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 Cilicia'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 Cilicia at this point.

2. Naming Cilicia specifically

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

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

2 questions worth asking Cilicia

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

• “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

Arizona

Licence

TX LCSW 119555, AZ LCSW LCSW-22930

Licence number

LCSW-22930

Licence expires

31 Mar 2027

NPI

1720727688

Years in practice

8

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

12 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Cilicia'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 Cilicia. 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.