Cathy Bottrell , LICSW, LCSW

Cathy Bottrell is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage grief, loss, and major life transitions. She brings 23 years of experience as a clinician and focuses on practical ways to cope with change and emotional pain.

Her approach centers on clear, down-to-earth conversation. She listens to what matters most and helps people name their priorities. Sessions often focus on small, doable steps to reduce overwhelm and increase daily stability.

Cathy works with common concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, and sleeping problems. She also supports people facing caregiving strain, chronic illness, fertility and adoption questions, and compassion fatigue. Intimacy, relationship patterns, and family of origin issues are part of her practice as well.

She uses methods drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive behavioral ideas, client-centered listening, and mindfulness practices. Those tools are used to help people notice patterns, try new behaviors, and tolerate hard feelings without getting stuck.

In sessions she aims to create a calm, respectful space for teens and adults to talk through their experiences. People who want help processing the past, managing the present, or planning for change will find a steady, experienced clinician ready to work collaboratively.

Cathy holds LICSW and LCSW credentials and sees clients in the District of Columbia.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Cathy uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify what matters to them and take small steps toward those values, even when emotions feel heavy. ACT can be useful for grief, chronic illness, and life changes where acceptance and committed action matter.

She also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thought patterns and test new behaviors. CBT techniques are often used for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and coping with stress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Cathy will talk with each person about goals and preferences and recommend which methods to try first. The plan is collaborative and can change as needs shift.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy fit daily life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for skill practice and deeper dialogue. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or when someone needs a shorter check-in. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for check-ins, brief coaching, or ongoing support between longer sessions. These options help people keep therapy consistent around work, caregiving, and health appointments.