Cathy O'Brien, LMSW
About me
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!
Professional experience
Additional areas of focus: Trauma and abuse, Grief, Eating disorders, Parenting issues, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, ADHD, Adoption and foster care, Attachment issues, Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Control issues, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), Family problems, Impulsivity, Mood disorders, Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Post-traumatic stress, Self-harm, Self-love, Social anxiety and phobia, Trichotillomania, Young adult issues
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
License information
MI LMSW 6801093174
Reviews
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Cathy O'Brien. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Excellent
Written on Jul 05, 2022 after therapy with Cathy for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, self esteem, and anger management
Cathy has been AMAZING for my emotional and mental health. My Mama passed away a little over 2 months ago. I sought out therapy pretty quickly after her death because I became so deeply depressed for the first time in my life. I had never been in therapy before and was pretty hesitant. But I needed and wanted help digging myself out of that darkness and allowing myself to get back to feeling like ME! Cathy helped me do just that. She gave me tips, tricks, techniques and practice to work on to help my depression and anxiety. I'm obviously still very sad, my Mama was my best friend. But I'm finally feeling like life is worth living again. She's a wonderful listener, we hit it off pretty much right off the bat, and I felt so comfortable with her. I could tell she truly cared about me as a patient. I'm so happy I had her as a therapist, and I can 1000% say therapy has been so helpful to my life, and in so happy to be feeling like ME again.
Written on Apr 13, 2022 after therapy with Cathy for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, grief, and adhd
Cathy always helps me see things from a different perspective. Whether it’s different ways to view the problem or different approaches to solving it, she always helps me understand it and also explain it in a way that I would not have thought of.
Written on Nov 24, 2021 after therapy with Cathy for 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, and self esteem
She is a great person and has good insight
Written on Sep 22, 2021 after therapy with Cathy for 4 months on issues concerning family conflicts
Cathy O'Brien is a great listener and provides plenty of worksheets and exercises to help with growth. She also checks in between visits and I find that really helped me stay focused on developing myself.
Written on Jul 10, 2021 after therapy with Cathy for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, self esteem, and anger management
Cathy has been very helpful to me as I sort out a chaotic pandemic-style life!
Written on Jun 18, 2021 after therapy with Cathy for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, self esteem, and career difficulties