Cathy O'Brien , LMSW

Cathy O'Brien is a Michigan-based therapist who holds an LMSW, a licensed social work credential in the state. She brings six years of experience in the mental health field and has worked in a range of roles supporting children, families, and adults facing challenges such as stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, eating concerns, parenting struggles, and attention-related difficulties. Her practice also addresses mood and personality-related concerns, obsessive and compulsive behaviors, self-harm, social anxiety, and issues connected to adoption, attachment, and neurodiversity.

Cathy uses a client-centered stance that emphasizes respect, empathy, and collaboration, blending techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-focused approaches, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused work to meet each person where they are. She has experience helping clients build stress-management skills, process loss and trauma, and improve relationship and self-esteem challenges. Cathy aims to create a trusting therapeutic relationship so clients feel more comfortable discussing difficult topics and taking steps toward change.

She often shares a quote by Catherine Pulsifer to encourage action in the face of hardship: "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." Cathy offers supportive, practical guidance for those ready to begin their next steps.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Client-centered therapy focuses on building a respectful, empathetic relationship in which the client leads the pace and direction of change. This approach helps people who need a supportive space to explore feelings, identity, and relationship concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a practical, skills-oriented method that helps clients identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and many mood-related challenges. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) addresses patterns in relationships and emotional responses, helping people and families process attachment needs and improve connection.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Cathy works with clients to assess needs, goals, and preferences and adapts techniques accordingly so the plan fits each person. Many licensed professionals and therapists combine elements from different models to best support individual circumstances.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage in care, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, access support from home, and maintain continuity when in-person visits are difficult. Cathy uses these modalities to provide consistent, goal-oriented work that accommodates each client's schedule and communication style.