- Stress and anxiety
- Substance use support
- Mindfulness and DBT skills
About Catherine
Catherine Brenen is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) practicing in Michigan with 16 years of experience in mental health care. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, substance use, depression, relationship problems, grief, trauma, aging-related concerns, and anger. Her work is guided by respect and a faith perspective she names as central to how she connects with people.
Catherine uses a conversational, engaging style in sessions. She avoids judgment and blunt fear-based approaches. Instead she focuses on straightforward dialogue that aims to identify what is getting in the way and what might move a person forward.
Her approach blends several methods so sessions can include practical skills work, examining patterns, and talking through feelings. Cognitive behavioral ideas are used to notice and change unhelpful thinking. Dialectical behavior techniques offer tools for managing intense emotions and improving coping skills.
Client-centered principles shape how she listens and responds. Motivational interviewing helps when someone is uncertain about making changes, especially around substance use or health behaviors. Mindfulness practices may be offered to reduce reactivity and increase moment-to-moment awareness.
Catherine also draws on psychodynamic ideas when looking at longer-term patterns that influence current problems. She works with each person to decide what matters most and plans sessions around those goals. To begin, she asks people to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule an initial session.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what matters to the person. Online sessions can use that same plain conversation to clarify goals and priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) emphasizes practical steps to change thinking and behavior and often includes homework like thought records or behavior experiments that fit well into everyday life. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills that can be practiced between sessions and reviewed online.Choosing the right approach is collaborative. She will talk with each person about goals, what has helped before, and what feels doable now. Together they decide which strategies to try first, then adjust the plan based on what works in real life.
The practical benefits of online work include fitting sessions around work and family commitments and reducing travel time. Because session formats were not specified in the biography, confirm the available session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to practice skills between meetings and to bring real situations into session for immediate problem solving.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
16+ years
Listed in
Michigan
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address related to anger?
She works with anger alongside issues like relationship conflict, stress, trauma, and substance use. Anger is listed among the many concerns she helps people manage.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is conversational and engaging with a focus on respect and nonjudgment. Sessions mix practical skills with exploration of patterns and feelings.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 16 years of experience as a mental health provider working with a wide range of concerns.
What credential does she hold and where is she located?
She holds an LMSW, which stands for Licensed Master Social Worker, and practices in Michigan.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people from other countries work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to start working with her?
Begin by selecting the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.