Catherine BrenenLMSW

Catherine Brenen is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) in Michigan with 16 years of experience in mental health care. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, substance concerns, trauma, and the challenges that come with aging. Her approach is warm and nonjudgmental, and she centers respect and empathy in sessions.

Catherine emphasizes a supportive, hopeful style grounded in positive regard and personal faith. She avoids fear-based tactics and judgment, instead focusing on practical steps clients can use to move forward. Sessions aim to be engaging and tailored to each person's needs.

Her work combines client-centered conversations with cognitive-behavioral and dialectical strategies. She also uses mindfulness techniques and motivational interviewing when they fit a person's goals. Occasional psychodynamic ideas may be woven into care to better understand long-standing patterns.

Catherine helps people set clear, achievable goals and builds a plan around those priorities. She addresses relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting and family stress, grief, anger, and career or self-esteem issues. Addiction, bipolar disorder, and complicated loss are also within her focus areas.

She frames therapy as a collaborative process and adjusts pacing and tools to what each person needs. Taking the first step can feel hard, and she expresses readiness to support people through that beginning and beyond.

How Catherine’s approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to what matters most to the person. The therapist reflects your concerns and helps you set goals based on your values and needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts affect feelings and behavior and teaches skills to change unhelpful patterns. It can help with anxiety, depression, and managing stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, adds skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and tolerating distress without making things worse.

Choosing the right approach is part of working together. Catherine will collaborate with each person to decide which methods match their goals, preferences, and life situation. That plan can change over time as needs shift and progress is made.

Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm available options before booking. Many people find online therapy useful because it can fit more easily into busy schedules, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also make it simpler to use specific skills in real-life moments and practice strategies between sessions. Catherine will help tailor the structure and pace so sessions fit into everyday life while focusing on concrete steps forward.