Cathy Clay
Cathy Clay
(she/her)
Hello, I am a licensed professional counselor with eight years of experience, based in Virginia. My journey in mental health began with a master's degree from South University, where I developed a strong foundation in therapeutic practices. I am dedicated to supporting individuals in overcoming challenges and fostering healing, personal growth, utilizing evidence-based approaches tailored to each client's unique needs.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Our first session gives us the opportunity to get to know each other and determine if we are a good match. Once we are settled and ready, we will move into the specific issues you are facing and discuss the best way for us to move towards healing, growth, and development.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strengths as a provider lie in my extensive experience working with a diverse population and my commitment to cultural sensitivity. I understand the unique challenges faced by individuals from various backgrounds and adapt my therapeutic approach to respect and honor their cultural identities. This ability to connect deeply with clients fosters trust, enhances communication, and facilitates meaningful healing and growth.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am best positioned to serve young adults, adolescents, and seniors facing challenges such as depression, anxiety, and trauma. My expertise extends to the LGBTQ+ community, where I provide a supportive and affirming space for individuals navigating their unique experiences. I strive to empower my clients by offering compassionate guidance and evidence-based strategies tailored to their specific needs and goals.
About Cathy Clay
Cathy Clay offers therapy covered by Kaiser Permanente - Medicaid and UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicaid in Virginia.
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I often utilize CBT when I am dealing with individuals that are experiencing negative cognitions due to depression, anxiety, etc. I assist the clients with understanding how their thought life controls their overall mood and how a negative thought pattern does harm. We then seek to address these maladaptive thoughts and reprocess their meaning and validity.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
I utilize tapping techniques that encourage the client to embrace their emotion and how they can learn through EFT to sit with the emotion, which is a way of validating the emotion, bringing about healing which helps tobetter managing and understand heir emotions.
Faith based therapy
I encourage my client to share their belief systems, which can become an anchor for successful growth and development. I am a women of faith and believe that faith has the ability to promote healing, and growth.
Humanistic
By using a humanistic lens, it enables me to be more culturally sensitive and person-centered.
Schema Therapy
Schema helps the client and therapist to understand the client's current thought process that derives from past traumatic events in which, from a child's perspective, they develop a belief about themselves that can be maladaptive. Schema therapy is utilized when we have identified the negative thought that we develop as a result of an event. For example, if a parent leaves the home, the child feels abandoned; thus, the schema of abandonment is a great force and informs every decision when it comes to trust in relationships.