Cathy Smith , LPC

Cathy Smith began her path in helping professions with undergraduate degrees in Sociology with a focus on Criminology and in Spanish, which led her to work in a residential treatment home for youth with emotional and mental health challenges. That early work sparked a deeper interest in psychology and counseling and shaped her approach to supporting people across the lifespan. After starting a family she returned to school to earn a teaching certificate and a master’s degree in Special Education, spending many years teaching in institutional, public, private, and alternative education settings before deciding to shift her focus toward clinical work.

She later completed a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and earned licensure as a Limited License Psychologist and as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). LPC stands for Licensed Professional Counselor. Cathy emphasizes the importance of relationship in effective counseling, approaching each person with openness to their ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, work, and belief systems while remaining mindful of her own limits. She brings a strength-based stance to therapy, helping clients build on their existing resources to move toward healthier, more satisfying lives.

Cathy works with a wide age range from children to older adults and addresses concerns including depression, anxiety, PTSD, grief, trauma from sexual and physical abuse, parenting challenges, learning differences, and autism spectrum issues. She tailors her methods to each client’s goals, drawing on motivational interviewing, client-centered work, solution-focused techniques, psychoeducation, mindfulness, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as needed.