Catherine McLaughlin, LCSW

Catherine McLaughlin is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing anxiety, depression, grief, substance use concerns, and stress. She is direct but warm, and aims to make conversations feel straightforward and useful. Catherine draws on many years of practice to help people find clearer ways forward.

Catherine has 23 years of clinical experience and holds the LCSW credential, licensed in New York. She has worked in private practice and in substance use settings, including roles linked to alcohol and substance services in New York. That background informs a pragmatic approach to addiction and codependency concerns.

In sessions she uses practical tools from cognitive behavioral therapy while also listening closely to what matters most to each person. She mixes skill teaching with reflective conversation to help people notice patterns and try new responses. Mindfulness and client-centered ideas also guide her work, offering simple ways to calm the mind and focus on goals.

Catherine often helps with caregiver stress, communication problems, relationship strain, and life changes like divorce and loss. She also supports those coping with panic, mood shifts, dissociation, and shame-related issues. Her style is empathetic and occasionally lightened by a respectful sense of humor.

People who want straightforward feedback, practical strategies, and steady support may find her a good fit. She encourages small steps, direct conversation, and a steady focus on what each person wants to change.

How Catherine’s approaches work in online sessions

Client-centered therapy focuses on the person’s experience and priorities. The therapist listens deeply, reflects what is said, and helps people set their own goals and move at their own pace. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, offers hands-on tools to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and is often used for anxiety, depression, panic, and addictive behaviors. Mindfulness therapy introduces simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and build calm in daily life.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Catherine will discuss goals, try a few methods, and adjust the plan based on what helps most. The process is collaborative and paced to each person’s needs and preferences.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and guided exercises. Phone sessions work when a session needs less bandwidth or when being on camera feels difficult. Live chat and messaging are handy for quick check-ins, brief reflections, and steady contact between longer sessions. These formats make scheduling easier and let people fit therapy into busy lives.