Cathy Heaps-Stetson, LMHC

Cathy Heaps-Stetson brings three decades of experience supporting, educating, training, and counseling people through significant life challenges. She holds a master’s degree from Argosy University - Sarasota and is an LMHC, which stands for Licensed Mental Health Counselor. Her professional training also includes certification as a Grief Recovery Specialist, reflecting her experience helping people recover from loss.

Cathy has worked with a wide range of clients, including individuals facing terminal illness and those coping with bereavement or other major life barriers. She observes that many difficulties emerge when a person experiences substantial loss or a profound change in lifestyle, and she focuses on helping clients navigate those turning points with care and skill.

Her approach blends several therapeutic methods to meet each person where they are. She uses Gestalt techniques along with cognitive behavioral strategies to identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts. Mindfulness and relaxation practices are taught to increase awareness of how thoughts and emotions influence behavior. As a Rogerian or person-centered therapist, she emphasizes empathy, non-directive support, and unconditional positive regard, providing reflective listening and an accepting space for clients to explore difficult questions.

Cathy does not claim to have all the answers; rather she works alongside clients to uncover their own solutions, offering support through challenging decisions and the process of rebuilding confidence and well-being.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Cathy Heaps-Stetson draws from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness practices to guide online work. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathy and supportive listening so the client can explore feelings and find their own solutions; it is helpful for relationship concerns, self-esteem issues, and coping with life transitions. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and is often effective for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems. Mindfulness therapy teaches present-moment awareness and relaxation techniques to reduce reactivity and support emotional regulation, which can aid sleep, stress management, and coping with traumatic memories.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Cathy collaborates with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences and to tailor methods that best fit their situation. This collaborative process helps ensure the selected strategies feel relevant and workable for the client.

Online therapy with Cathy is offered by licensed professionals via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which makes care more flexible and accessible for people with busy schedules, mobility limits, or geographic constraints. These options allow clients to continue consistent work even when life changes make in-person visits difficult.