- Years in practice
- 24
- Credentials
- LMFT
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Family conflicts
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
About Cathy
Cathy Simmons is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 24 years of experience helping people navigate parenting challenges and related stress. She focuses on practical steps families and individuals can use to reduce anxiety and manage daily pressures. Cathy speaks English and practices in California.
Cathy centers sessions on each person's strengths and experience. She treats parenting concerns alongside related issues such as family conflict, trauma and abuse, grief, and addiction.
Background and approach
She also supports people facing career stress, relationship strain, and questions about intimacy and self-esteem. Her style is straightforward and encouraging. Cathy aims to help clients name the problem, try small changes, and build on what works.
She emphasizes real-world strategies rather than abstract theory. Over two decades of work has given her experience with adoption and foster care concerns, blended family dynamics, and compassion fatigue. That background informs how she helps people manage transitions and complicated family roles.
Starting therapy with Cathy is framed as a collaborative process. She invites clients to share their priorities and then creates steps that fit their life. The focus is on steady progress and practical coping tools rather than quick fixes.
What Cathy works with
Everything Cathy lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Cathy helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Adoption and foster care
- Blended family issues
- Family problems
- Self-love
Approaches for parenting and family stress online
Two common evidence-based approaches Cathy uses are practical skills work and trauma-informed care. Practical skills work focuses on teaching specific tools for managing stress, reducing anxiety, and handling parenting challenges through step-by-step strategies and behavior changes. Trauma-informed care pays attention to how past hurt affects current reactions and helps people build safety, emotional control, and coping strategies for painful memories. Finding the right approach is part of the work. Cathy will collaborate with each person to choose techniques that match their goals, needs, and comfort level. Together they decide whether to focus first on coping skills, processing trauma, or improving daily routines. Online sessions offer flexibility that can make ongoing work easier. Video calls let people work face to face when that helps. Phone sessions are useful when video is not possible or bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging support brief check-ins, coaching between sessions, and ongoing reminders or homework. These options make it easier to fit therapy around parenting schedules and busy days, while keeping progress steady and practical.Questions people ask about Cathy
What kinds of problems does Cathy help with?
She helps people with parenting concerns, stress and anxiety, family problems, trauma and abuse, grief, and addiction among other issues.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is practical and strengths based, focusing on small changes clients can try and build on to improve day-to-day life.
How much experience does she have?
Cathy brings 24 years of professional experience working with individuals facing family and parenting challenges and related concerns.
What credentials and location are listed for Cathy?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California.
Which languages are used in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and 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 first steps to begin therapy?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.
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