About me
Having graduated with undergrad degrees in Sociology (Criminology) and Spanish, I began working in a residential treatment home for youth with emotional and mental illnesses. My early work there, sparked my interest in psychology and counseling. After starting our family, I returned to school to earn a teaching certificate and a Masters degree in Special Education. After many years of teaching in a variety of settings; institutional, public, private and alternative education, I felt I really wanted more time to listen to and talk with my students. Because of this, I returned to the university once more to complete a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology, earning licensure as a Limited License Psychologist and a Licensed Professional Counselor.
I have worked in a variety of school settings; residential treatment facilities, public and private schools as well as alternative education and as a volunteer counselor in Costa Rican schools, my experience with teens is extensive. In my current work as a therapist, I have worked with teens from every different school system in our county. I feel that their lives have been impacted by many factors besides the usual challenges of becoming adults; most notably social media, increasing pressure to fit in to a certain group, higher rates of depression and social isolation, and now a pandemic that has upended the lives of people around the globe. But I also see the positive side of the young people today. Many of them are more educated, more inclusive and certainly more technologically adept.
Using a strength based approach to working with teens, I use a variety of modalities, depending on the situation and their needs. It could be motivational interviewing, solution based treatment, psychoeducational work , client based treatment, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. We establish the parameters of confidentiality at the initial session so that it is well understood. Caring for them, and establishing an empathetic, therapeutic relationship is crucial.
Specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Depression
Addictions , LGBT , Grief , Sleeping disorders , Parenting issues , Anger management , Self esteem , Career difficulties , Bipolar disorder , Coping with life changes , Compassion fatigue , ADHD , Abandonment , Aging and Geriatric Issues , Read more...
Clinical approaches:
Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy
Services offered
Messaging
Live Chat
Phone
Video
Languages
English
Spanish
Licensing
MI LPC 6401010540
Reviews
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Cathy Smith. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with Teen Counseling might be different.
Great!
Cathy is AMAZING! She is there whenever I need her! She never forgets about me and is constantly reaching out letting me know she is there for me. I really appreciate her advice and kind words. Any time I start going off the rails, she is there to guide me back on track. I love her!
So far Cathy has been very helpful! She has a lot of experience, easy to talk to and she's not afraid to ask questions or start the conversation about any topic especially ones that might be a more difficult to talk about at first. She is very patient and understanding and has been great to work with and I look forward to continuing to work with her.
Cathy has been so helpful during such a tricky time in my life! She challenges me and always refocuses my priorities to making sure I’m working on myself when I have a habit of using therapy time to discuss how others may be feeling. Being apart of the LGBTQIA+ community, Cathy has always been so supportive and open minded. I appreciate her getting me to a place where I no longer need regular weekly sessions.
Cathy is very knowledgeable, friendly and professional.
Cathy is a great listener who has good takes on topics like family, relationships and boundaries! Great to talk to her!
I just started therapy with Cathy, but so far she is very attentive, gives great advice, and is very sweet and caring. It’s apparent her main objective is to help people and try to make them feel better
One word, awesome!
As someone working in the helping professions, I was skeptical about finding the right person to support me in my healing journey. I am so grateful that the person I was matched with, Cathy, is not only an expert in the field but comes with an authentic and humbled approach to creating a therapeutic alliance that gives me the tools and confidence to overcome my challenges and achieve my goals. I have already recommended Cathy to someone close to me and anybody would greatly benefit from having her in your corner!
Love cathy she is awesome
Thank you, teen counseling, for matching me with Cathy Smith! After only a few meetings, I felt like she knew me. I look forward to my sessions with her because I know I will sign off with a greater understanding of myself. Cathy understands my issues and has given me helpful tools for dealing with problems large and small. I feel like I have made more progress in four months with Cathy than I have in years of in-person therapy!
Cathy is an excellent therapist! She is very understanding and resourceful. She gives thoughtful insight, and is very willing to help you establish goals to better yourself. She is very considerate of your needs and priorities!
She is great. Good Spanish and gives great advices
So far so good thank you
She's a nice person to talk to. We're in completely opposite timezones but her expertise and insight made making the odd hours sessions worthwhile. The dramatic age difference and relatively similar background experiences made it easy for me to let my guard down and really get to the bottom of any triggering issues. A slight complaint might be the internet connection's not that stable from her current location. However, her regular check-ins outside dedicated sessions made up for it.
Great
Cathy has been a wonderful therapist that helped me through a tough time. When I look back on the person I was when I started speaking to Cathy versus the person I am now, I am so grateful for all the confidence boosting that Cathy gave.
Cathy is kind, helpful and funny. I can't recommend her enough.
I had only two sessions but she was very sweet and she does understand me very well, she addresses my concerns and is very easy to talk to.
Very kind and patient. Taught a lot of different practices which have changed my life and how I view it. A wonderful therapist
Cathy has been great for my teen daughter. My daughter instantly felt supported and listed to. She has given my daughter great tools to use in her daily life.
Cathy is the best therapist I have EVER worked with. I’ve had different therapists over the years. Only 4 sessions in and I’ve already touched on deep things. It’s fantastic.
Cathy is an experienced and supportive therapist. Greatly appreciate her approach, attention and flexibility.
Cathy listens patiently and has a very good understanding of what I tell her
She's very nice and easy to talk to and has good advice
She's the best therapist you can have. You'll feel so safe and confident when you talk to her. She has so much experience so she knows exactly what she has to say. Talking to her is always healing. Thanks Cathy
Cathy is fantastic! She listens to me and really helps me feel heard. She connects with me and has helped improve my sense of self worth a lot.
Cathy has been fantastic so far on my counselling journey. She listens attentively, stops me to ask productive questions and encourage conversation, and explains tools and tricks to cope with struggles. She responds quickly, compassionately, and I never feel like a clock is ticking or I'm being timed. I enjoy our sessions and look forward to continuing.
Cathy is very sweet and patient with listening and guiding the topic of our conversations during our sessions. I also appreciate her for messaging me throughout the week between our appointments to check in on me.
I’ve had really good interaction with Cathy. She’s patiently listened to me & what my issues are, and how I can change me. Very positive, fun, it’s like talking to a friend who can guide you . Not just agree.
Cathy is amazing. Kind and understanding. I feel like she knows exactly what I’m talking about and exactly what I need to become a better and healthier me.
With only two sessions with Cathy, my self-confidence returned, I am happy to have had someone to talk with, about my problems and insecurities. From now on, the decisions I make will be based on her recommendations.
Thank you
Cathy is a great and attentive counselor, she has a variety of experience that is helpful in many ways. I always leave our sessions feeling better and more hopeful than before.
Cathy has been a great counselor, she’s kind, thoughtful and very easy to talk to. I’ve looked forward to talking to her and she makes me feel very comfortable and I feel like I can talk to her about anything. She’s got great insight and recommendations too!
I've worked with many therapists over the years and always left my sessions feeling worse or depleted. I used to dread my therapy sessions. Working with Cathy has been the exact opposite. She's so engaged the entire time we chat and makes me feel heard and cared for. I love that she has so much life experience and a wise perspective because then things feel less heavy. I would recommend Cathy to anyone who is stuck in their own head.
I feel grateful to have such an experienced therapist, it feels very easy to talk with her and she is really a great listener. It's also comforting just knowing she is a message away. I've only recently started meeting with her and I already feel like I am growing and making progress.
Cathy is very kind, intelligent and understanding. She has such a warm and welcoming personality, making it easy to open up and share with her. She has time and again recommended helpful ways for me to handle my personal hurdles and seems to really care about my well being and happiness.
She’s very experienced. We had one session only so far but I will get a good help for better life.