About Catherine
Catherine McLaughlin is a licensed clinical social worker with 23 years of experience who helps people facing anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, and major life changes. She is direct and compassionate in session and aims to make therapy feel straightforward and useful for daily life. Catherine uses a practical approach that begins where each person is.
She leans on client-centered methods to follow the person's pace and priorities. She also draws on cognitive behavioral and mindfulness strategies to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and build better coping skills.
How Catherine works
Her background includes long experience in outpatient clinical work and supporting people through substance-related concerns. That experience informs how she addresses codependency, self-esteem problems, and stress related to caregiving or family difficulties. She also has worked with mood and personality-related challenges and trauma-related concerns.
Sessions focus on clear goals and doable steps. Catherine blends talking through difficulties with exercises that change thinking and behavior. She will use motivational interviewing when someone is weighing change or struggling with substance use.
People who prefer a therapist who is warm but straightforward may find her style a good fit. She aims to help clients leave sessions with practical next steps and a clearer sense of purpose and direction.
Catherine lists 6 ways of working on the entry:
What Catherine works with
The areas below are the ones Catherine selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 23 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | New York |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Therapeutic approaches and how they work online
Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening and following the person's lead. The therapist helps set goals based on what matters most to the client and adapts pace and focus to each session. This approach is useful for people who want a therapist to respond to their priorities rather than follow a fixed plan.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. It often uses concrete exercises and homework to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and address patterns that lead to distress. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention practices to reduce rumination and increase present-moment awareness, which can help with stress and emotional regulation.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss options, try methods in session, and adjust based on the client's goals, pace, and how things are progressing. That makes therapy more practical and responsive to real-life needs.
Online formats provide flexibility in how people meet with a therapist. Video calls enable face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is low, and live chat or text messaging can work for brief check-ins or when writing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and to continue work between sessions.
Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
Book with CatherineWe will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.
Common questions
What issues does Catherine address in therapy?
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
What is her professional background?
What credentials and location are listed?
In what language are sessions offered?
What session formats are available?
How are fees and billing handled?
How do I begin working with this therapist?
A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. Entries are not assessed or endorsed by this directory.
Other entries for stress, anxiety
Supportive LCSW helping people build strength and clarity
Practical, trauma-aware therapy for everyday life
Practical, relational therapy for life transitions