- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
- Client-Centered methods
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
About Cathleen
Cathleen Stafford is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 25 years of professional experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, parenting strains, intimacy-related concerns, and family issues. She emphasizes clients' strengths and respects each person's knowledge of their own story.
Cathleen uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside client-centered and cognitive behavioral approaches to help people name difficult feelings and change patterns that feel stuck. She also draws on solution-focused ideas and Internal Family Systems to help clients identify practical steps and internal parts that influence their choices.
In sessions she listens for what matters most to the person in front of her and then offers tools they can try between meetings. That can include short exercises to shift patterns, practice in communication, and ways to notice unhelpful thoughts. She encourages small, concrete changes that make daily life easier.
Her background includes long-term clinical work in California settings across a variety of concerns. Over time she has supported people dealing with blended family dynamics, caregiver stress, divorce and separation, and postpartum depression. She also works with issues like forgiveness, infidelity, life purpose, midlife transitions, and social anxiety.
Cathleen adapts her methods to the concern at hand, balancing emotion-focused work with skills-based techniques when appropriate. People who prefer a direct, practical approach often find that combining insight about emotions with action steps fits their needs.
How Cathleen brings EFT and skills work to online sessions
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) focuses on identifying and naming hard-to-reach feelings and the interaction patterns they create. EFT can be used to clarify emotional responses and to shift repetitive ways of reacting that cause distress.Client-Centered Therapy centers on listening and following what the client says matters most. It helps people feel understood and develop their own solutions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors, offering practical strategies to change patterns that maintain anxiety or depression.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Cathleen will collaborate with each person to decide whether emotion-focused exploration, skills-based CBT, or a mix is the best fit. She tailors sessions based on the client’s goals, preferences, and the specific issues they bring to therapy.
Session formats and scheduling should be confirmed before booking. Ask about which formats are offered when you sign up. Online sessions can make it easier to fit meetings into a workday, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They also let people use tools and worksheets in real time during the session to practice new skills and notice emotional shifts.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, parenting strain, intimacy-related concerns, and family issues. Additional focus areas include blended family challenges, caregiver stress, and postpartum depression.
What is her therapeutic approach and style?
She uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy along with client-centered and cognitive behavioral techniques. She also incorporates solution-focused work and Internal Family Systems as needed.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 25 years of professional work experience in clinical settings. That experience includes work across a wide range of family and relationship concerns.
What credential does she hold and where does she practice?
She is a California LMFT, which stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Her practice is based in California.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She is not accepting international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Exact session fees depend on the local rate and subscription details.
What should I do to start a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session. That begins the intake and scheduling process.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.