About Cathy
Cathy Nau is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in Washington who helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and burnout. She offers calm, practical support aimed at easing immediate distress and identifying clear next steps. Her style is warm and grounded, with a focus on small, doable changes that build over time.
She begins by listening closely to what matters most to each person. Then she works with them to name a realistic goal and take the first small step toward it.
Background and approach
Sessions tend to be straightforward and action-oriented, with room for emotion and reflection as needed. Over 29 years in the field, Cathy has supported people with trauma and abuse, attention issues such as ADHD, eating and body-image concerns, caregiver stress, and career-related struggles. She has also helped those coping with major life transitions, loss, and compassion fatigue.
Her background includes work across the United States and overseas with military-related services. Cathy draws from several approaches to fit a person’s needs. She uses cognitive behavioral techniques to address unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, acceptance and commitment ideas to clarify values and build meaningful action, and client-centered listening to make sure people feel heard.
Dialectical and emotionally focused methods are available when stronger regulation or relationship work is needed. Sessions are offered in English and are available by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Cathy works with adults and teens and tailors pace and methods to each person’s situation.
How Cathy’s Approaches Work Online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on clarifying personal values and taking small committed actions toward them while accepting uncomfortable emotions. It can help with anxiety, life changes, and low motivation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, looks at patterns of thought and behavior and teaches practical skills to reduce distress and change unhelpful habits. It is often useful for anxiety and mood concerns. Client-Centered Therapy centers on empathetic listening and collaboration so the person feels understood and can explore solutions at their own pace.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Cathy will discuss goals and preferences in early sessions and recommend strategies that match the person's needs. Together they can try different methods and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online sessions offer practical flexibility. Video calls let people use visual cues and more in-depth conversation. Phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging support shorter check-ins, follow-ups, or working through things between longer sessions. These options help fit therapy into busy schedules and varied lifestyles.
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Eating and food-related issues
- First responder issues
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Mood disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Trauma and abuse
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Existential Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Experience
- 29 years
- Licensed
- Washington
- Languages
- English
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