- Years in practice
- 16
- Credentials
- LMSW
- Licensed in
- Michigan
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Addictions
- Focus
- Relationship issues
About Catherine
Catherine Brenen is a licensed master social worker who brings 16 years of clinical experience in Michigan. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addiction concerns, grief, and challenges tied to relationships or life changes. Her manner is warm and engaging and she emphasizes respect and positive regard in sessions.
Catherine frames therapy around each person’s needs. She combines client-centered listening with practical tools from cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior approaches.
Background and approach
Mindfulness and motivational interviewing also appear in her work when helpful. She avoids judgment and focuses on building attainable steps forward. Sessions often focus on clear goals.
That might mean managing anxiety, reducing harmful coping behaviors, or improving communication patterns. Catherine also supports people dealing with parenting strains and caregiving stress as part of broader life concerns. She adapts conversation and planning to fit what each person is trying to change.
Catherine describes her style as collaborative and grounded in faith and hope when clients find that meaningful. She balances talking through problems with concrete skills and small experiments people can try between sessions. The aim is steady progress rather than quick fixes.
People who prefer a caring, practical approach may find her style helpful. Catherine encourages realistic steps, steady practice, and ongoing review of what is working. She invites prospective clients to take the first step and explore whether this approach fits their goals.
What Catherine works with
Everything Catherine lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Catherine helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Depression
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Personality disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Catherine lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches and online options
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and trying new, more effective patterns. It is often useful for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems.Dialectical Behavior Therapy teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better interpersonal skills. It can help people who struggle with intense emotions, impulsive behavior, or relationship conflicts.
Catherine uses a client-centered stance alongside these methods, which means sessions start with listening to what matters most to the person and building goals together. She will work with each client to choose the approaches that match their needs, goals, and preferences in a collaborative way.
Online therapy offers flexible formats to fit a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when a visual connection helps. Phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging can support ongoing reflection or brief updates between sessions. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while fitting work, parenting, and other commitments into a schedule.
Questions people ask about Catherine
What concerns does she address?
Catherine helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting-related strain, anger, self-esteem, career matters, and coping with life changes.
What is her therapy style like?
Her approach is warm, nonjudgmental, and collaborative. She blends listening with practical skills from several therapy methods.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 16 years of experience as a mental health provider working with a range of concerns.
Where does she practice and what are her credentials?
She holds an LMSW - Licensed Master Social Worker - and practices in Michigan.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How does payment work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To start, select the Start Therapy button, fill out a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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