PuttingFamilyFirst

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CM Portrait of Catherine McLaughlin
Online therapist

Catherine McLaughlin

Kind, practical support for life changes

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Credentials
LCSW
Experience
23 years
Licensed in
New York
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Catherine

Catherine McLaughlin is a licensed clinical social worker with 23 years of experience. She offers calm, direct support for people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, low self-esteem, depression, and life transitions. Her style blends warmth with clear guidance so conversations stay focused and useful for everyday problems.

She draws on methods such as client-centered work, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and psychodynamic ideas. That mix lets her match strategies to the situation - from managing panic and mood shifts to addressing patterns like codependency and communication problems.

Background and approach

Sessions are practical and grounded in real-life change. Her background includes long-term clinical work and roles with substance use services in New York. Catherine has helped people navigate divorce and separation, caregiver stress, and the effects of trauma and loss.

She also addresses anger, intimacy-related concerns, and challenges tied to personality or mood disorders. Conversations aim to identify small, achievable steps. Catherine often uses thought-and-behavior tools alongside mindful techniques to reduce distress and build skills.

She also brings psychodynamic listening to help uncover recurring patterns that cause pain. Clients can expect straightforward feedback delivered with compassion and occasional gentle humor when it fits. Catherine emphasizes respect for each persons experience and works collaboratively to set goals and track progress over time.

How Catherine shapes therapy online with practical methods

Client-Centered Therapy means the conversation focuses on the person's needs and priorities. The therapist listens closely, reflects what she hears, and helps people set goals that matter to them. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, breaks down how thoughts, feelings, and actions interact and teaches tools to change unhelpful patterns, which can help with anxiety, depression, panic, and coping with life changes.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Catherine will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and then suggest strategies to try. She collaborates on a plan and adjusts it over time so methods fit the situation and lead to practical progress.

Online sessions offer flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Those options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around school, work, and caregiving responsibilities. Using different formats, Catherine can focus on skill practice, short check-ins, or deeper talk depending on what each person needs and what works best for them.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Mindfulness Therapy

Attention training: noticing thoughts and physical feelings as they arrive without being carried off by them. Much of it is practice you do yourself, so guidance over video or audio works much as it would in person.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she address?
Catherine focuses on stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, self-esteem, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, and related mood or personality issues.
How would you describe her therapy style?
She uses a warm but straightforward approach, combining practical skills with deeper listening to help people change habits and feel better day to day.
What is her clinical background?
She has 23 years of clinical experience and has worked in both independent practice and with substance use services in New York.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - LCSW - with New York license number NY LCSW 074250 and practices from New York.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
23 years
Licensed
New York
Languages
English

Next step

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