Catherine Gardner , LICSW

Catherine Gardner is a licensed clinical social worker with 12 years of experience helping people find more confidence and direction. She focuses on practical support for self-esteem, career questions, professional coaching, and compassion fatigue. Her approach is straightforward and respectful, aimed at people who want clear tools and steady encouragement.

She adapts conversations and plans to each person's situation. Sessions center on everyday problems and real next steps rather than jargon. Catherine listens for what matters most and then helps people set small, achievable goals that build momentum.

Her background includes over a decade of clinical work in Alabama. That experience informs how she helps with motivation, confidence, and career transitions. She also supports people managing ADHD and the long-term effects of chronic illness and pain.

Catherine works with concerns commonly faced by women, including fertility questions, pregnancy and childbirth, postpartum depression, and issues around self-love and shame. She also helps people navigate isolation, life purpose, and young adult challenges.

People who choose her can expect a collaborative process. She offers coaching-style strategies alongside therapeutic conversation. The emphasis is on practical change, steady support, and building skills that fit daily life.

Approaches and how online therapy fits

Catherine uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical change and skill-building. One common approach involves coaching-style work that helps clarify career goals, strengthen motivation, and build routines that support daily functioning. This method is useful for people looking to make concrete changes at work or in study habits.

Another approach centers on strategies to improve self-esteem and manage compassion fatigue. Sessions may include exercises to challenge unhelpful self-talk, practice self-compassion, and plan boundaries that reduce burnout. These techniques are aimed at reducing overwhelming feelings and creating steadier emotional ground.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Catherine collaborates with each person to choose techniques that match their needs, goals, and preferences. She tailors the plan over time so methods evolve as progress is made.

Online formats make this flexible. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for deeper exchanges. Phone sessions can fit into a short break or work around bandwidth issues. Live chat and text-based messaging offer brief check-ins, written reflections, and ongoing coaching between meetings. Together, these options help people keep therapy consistent while fitting it into busy lives.