Catherine Costa, LICSW

Catherine Costa is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) based in Rhode Island. She brings three years of professional experience to her practice and focuses on practical, goal-oriented help for everyday problems.

Catherine centers sessions on respect and compassion. She listens first, then works with each person to identify clear goals. Conversations are aimed at simple, doable steps rather than long lectures. Parents and people juggling work or caregiving often appreciate the straightforward focus.

She uses approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused techniques to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. Motivational interviewing and narrative therapy also appear in her work to clarify values and reshape personal stories that get in the way of progress.

Sessions typically involve setting one or two goals, trying specific strategies between meetings, and checking what is or is not working. Catherine adapts the pace and language to each person, so sessions feel relevant and actionable. She also supports people dealing with grief, trauma, stress, relationship problems, parenting strain, workplace challenges, and questions about identity.

Getting started begins with a short questionnaire and scheduling a first session. Catherine aims to make the process understandable and manageable for people taking the step toward change.

How therapy approaches work online

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people spot patterns of thought that lead to stress or avoidance and then practice different ways of thinking and acting. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and everyday stressors. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes the persons own goals and perspective, with the therapist offering empathy and support while you lead the topics and pace. Motivational Interviewing focuses on finding personal reasons to change and strengthening commitment to small, concrete steps.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Catherine will listen to your concerns and goals, describe options, and collaborate with you to pick methods that fit your needs and preferences. That decision is revisited as you progress so the plan stays useful and realistic.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to give flexibility. Video lets you use visual cues for a fuller conversation, phone can be a simple option with lower bandwidth needs, quick live chat suits brief check-ins, and text messaging works for ongoing, short updates between sessions. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to keep momentum between meetings.