Catherine Brenen , LMSW

Catherine Brenen is a Licensed Master Social Worker with 16 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, and relationship concerns. She works with clients who face trauma, grief, intimacy challenges, eating concerns, and life transitions related to aging. Her style is warm, direct, and grounded in respect and empathy.

Her approach is practical and person-centered. She listens without judgment and focuses on steps that lead to real change. Sessions emphasize building coping skills, improving communication, and managing emotions so daily life becomes more manageable.

Catherine blends client-centered methods with cognitive behavioral strategies and dialectical behavior techniques. She also uses mindfulness and motivational interviewing when those methods fit the work. Treatment is shaped to each person's goals rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.

She brings a calm, encouraging presence and aims to create a space where people can speak openly and find forward movement. Faith and a belief in people's capacity for growth are part of her outlook, though she centers the client's priorities in every session.

Catherine practices in Michigan and offers sessions that focus on coping with life changes, caregiver stress, communication problems, codependency, and substance use concerns among other issues. She works collaboratively to develop a plan that feels useful and realistic for daily life.

How her approaches guide online sessions

Catherine often uses client-centered therapy, which focuses on listening closely and following the person's priorities. This approach helps people set goals and shape sessions around what matters most to them.

She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and test new behaviors. CBT can be useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and many day-to-day struggles because it breaks problems into clear steps that can change over time.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Catherine will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. Together they will check in and adapt the plan as needed so the work stays practical and relevant.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging can make it easier to keep momentum between longer sessions and to fit therapy into a busy schedule.