Cathy Bottrell, LICSW, LCSW
Licensed in Virginia · 23 years in practice
Cathy Bottrell is a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on helping people cope with grief, illness, and big life transitions.
License and registration
- LCSW, Virginia
- 0904005185 · expires June 2027
- LICSW, District of Columbia
- LC3000734 · expires April 2028
- NPI
- 1245487933 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 23
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.
About Cathy
Cathy Bottrell is a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on helping people cope with grief, illness, and big life transitions. She brings 23 years of experience to sessions and aims to make therapy straightforward and practical for people under stress. She uses clear, down-to-earth conversation to help clients sort feelings and make manageable changes.
Sessions often focus on coping skills for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, addiction concerns, and burnout.
Background and approach
Cathy also supports people dealing with adoption and foster care questions, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and fertility or cancer-related challenges. Her approach blends acceptance and commitment ideas with cognitive behavioral tools and client-centered listening. That means clients get help noticing what matters to them, spotting unhelpful thoughts, and trying small experiments that can change daily life.
Mindfulness practices are used when they fit the person’s needs and preferences. Cathy works with adults and teens to talk through relationship struggles, parenting strain, career stress, and feelings of emptiness or abandonment. She also addresses intimacy-related concerns, communication problems, and issues arising from family of origin and divorce or separation.
People who choose her often want a calm, practical therapist who will help them clarify goals and build steady routines. She is based in the District of Columbia and holds both a District of Columbia LICSW and a Virginia LCSW.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Cathy lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Cathy names
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
How Cathy’s Approaches Work Online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify what matters to them and take small steps toward those values even when feelings are strong. It’s useful for anxiety, grief, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to change mood and functioning, which can help with depression, sleep problems, and stress.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Cathy will talk with each client about goals and preferences and then try methods that fit those aims. That collaborative process includes checking what helps and adjusting the plan over time.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for in-depth sessions. Phone sessions can be lower bandwidth or easier when being on camera is difficult. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for shorter check-ins, quick coping tips, or when someone needs support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or medical schedules while using the ACT and CBT tools Cathy brings to sessions.
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Questions people ask
What concerns does Cathy commonly address?
Cathy works with stress, anxiety, grief, depression, addictions, relationship and family problems, trauma, sleep and parenting struggles, career strain, ADHD, and related life changes.
What is her therapy style like?
Sessions are practical and conversational, combining acceptance-focused work, cognitive tools, mindfulness, and client-centered listening to help people try new ways of coping.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 23 years of experience as a clinical social worker supporting people through illness, grief, adjustment, and other life challenges.
Where is she located and what are her credentials?
She practices in the District of Columbia and holds a District of Columbia LICSW and a Virginia LCSW.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted; sessions are arranged for clients within the supported region.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does cost and subscription work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
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Siu-Lin Robinson
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Brittany Cosme
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