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LICSW, LCSW

Cathy Bottrell, LICSW, LCSW

  • Experience23 years
  • LocationDistrict of Columbia
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Grief
  • Therapy approachesAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Cathy

Cathy Bottrell is a licensed social worker (LICSW, LCSW) with 23 years of clinical experience who blends practical psychotherapy with compassionate support.

Background and approach

She draws on evidence-based methods to help people navigate grief, loss, illness, and major life transitions, while also addressing concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship difficulties, and ADHD. Her practice emphasizes helping clients process past wounds, manage current challenges, and build skills for future resilience.

Working from a client-centered stance, Bottrell creates a respectful environment where individuals can explore emotions and try new coping strategies. She also integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness techniques to reduce unhelpful thinking patterns and increase present-moment awareness.

Her background includes work with adoption and foster care issues, HIV/AIDS related concerns, caregiving stress, chronic illness, and a wide range of family and interpersonal problems. Based in the District of Columbia, she offers counseling for teens and adults and supports people facing career and life changes, parenting and intimacy issues, forgiveness work, and recovery from trauma.

Cathy encourages prospective clients to take the first step by reaching out to explore goals and options for change.

Integrating ACT, CBT, and Mindfulness in Online Care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps clients clarify what matters most to them and take committed action toward those values while learning to live with difficult thoughts or feelings rather than letting them dictate behavior. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. Mindfulness practices teach present-moment awareness and nonjudgmental observation of thoughts and sensations, which can improve emotional regulation and coping with grief or chronic illness.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each client to explore goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped in the past, and then tailor interventions from these methods to suit individual needs. This collaborative process helps ensure the plan fits the person's life and challenges rather than forcing a single method.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility through multiple session formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity of care during life transitions, and access support from the District of Columbia area without needing to travel to an office.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she commonly address?
She works with a broad range of concerns including grief, stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and family problems, trauma and abuse, and ADHD among other issues.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
The approach is client-centered and collaborative, combining acceptance-based practices, CBT tools, and mindfulness to help clients explore emotions and develop practical coping skills.
What kind of clinical background does she have?
She has 23 years of experience as a clinical social worker, with a history of supporting people through illness adjustment, adoption and foster care concerns, HIV/AIDS related issues, and caregiving stress.
Where is she licensed to practice?
She is licensed as an LICSW in DC (DC LICSW LC3000734) and as an LCSW in Virginia (VA LCSW 0904005185), and she practices from the District of Columbia.
Does she work with clients who speak other languages?
Sessions are conducted in English; she is not listed as offering services in other languages and does not accept international clients at this time.
In what formats are sessions offered?
She provides multiple online formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and needs.
How does payment and cost work for sessions?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working with her?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyGriefSelf esteemDepression

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposePanic disorder and panic attacksSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness Therapy

Experience

23+ years

Licensed

Virginia, District of Columbia

Languages

English

What Cathy can help with

Cathy Bottrell works with clients on stress and anxiety, grief, self esteem, and depression.

Cathy works with adjustment to illness, depression, anxiety, and behavioral changes.

How Cathy approaches therapy

Cathy's clinical approaches include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Mindfulness Therapy.

Experience and training

Cathy is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker practicing in District of Columbia, with 23 years of clinical experience.