Catheryn Mcdermott

Hello. My my name is Kati and I am an LMHC here in Massachusetts. I earned my masters degree from Walden university in mental health counseling. I earned a bachelors degree in psychology and a bachelors in social work from Elms College. I tend to operate my practice with a focus on cognitive behavioral therapy as well a person centered approach. I want to work with you to achieve better mental health. I may pull from different therapeutic approaches to achieve that goal. For instance we may challenge negative thoughts (a CBT technique) but we may also discuss things like using belly breathing for relaxation (a mindfulness technique). I may give you homework from time to time that we can explore further in upcoming sessions. I am also trauma informed and will start with the subjects you feel most comfortable with.

My approach

As I mentioned I tend to weigh heavily on cognitive behavioral therapy. This being said I often pull from other modalities of therapy such as mindfulness and motivational interviewing. Above all I firmly believe in providing trauma informed care. I want to start with things you feel comfortable discussing and moving from there. My main goal is to help you improve your mental health.

My focus

I have a lot of experience working with anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. I also have experience working with vocational issues and relationship concerns.

My communication style

I have a direct yet supportive nature. I will not sugar coat things for you but I will also be gentle in my delivery. I want our work in therapy to be a collaboration. If you have questions or concerns I encourage you to ask me.

My journey to mental healthcare

I have a great passion for helping people. I have a family member with a chronic mental illness and I grew up seeing how differently he was treated. I went into this field to be a positive light to others. I enjoy being a nonjudgmental support for People and I how to lift people’s spirits in their mental health journey.

My goals for you

We will start by making a treatment plan in our intake session. We will update that plan or change things as things unfold. For instance if you feel There is something new to work on then we can add that to the existing treatment plan.

My first session with you

During the intake session I will be asking a lot about your background. I will want to know about any treatment history as well as history of self harm, suicide attempts, and assistive behaviors. I will also ask about any legal issues you may have experienced or may currently be experiencing. I will also want to know about your current living situation and vocation. These questions are not out of judgement but rather out of exploration. These questions give me clarity as to what experiences you have had in life and how they may have impacted you.