Therapist profile
Cathleen Stafford, LMFT
Licensed MFT - Family and parenting focus
Continue with CathleenAbout
- Stress and anxiety
- Parenting support
- Communication skills
About Cathleen
Cathleen Stafford is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 25 years of professional experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, family concerns, intimacy-related issues, parenting, and depression. She also helps with blended family challenges, caregiver stress, communication problems, and life transitions.
She uses straightforward conversation to help people name what feels hard and what matters most. Sessions tend to focus on practical skills and clearer communication. She treats relationship strain, parenting stress, and the ripple effects of major life changes in everyday language and steps.
Cathleen draws on several approaches to fit the problem at hand. Client-Centered methods keep the person's perspective in the lead. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps identify unhelpful thought patterns and practical alternatives. Emotionally-Focused Therapy is used when attachment and closeness are central concerns.
She also uses Solution-Focused techniques to set small, achievable goals. Internal Family Systems can help people understand different parts of themselves and how they affect relationships. These methods are used together to address specific issues like infidelity, divorce, postpartum depression, or midlife shifts.
Sessions are offered with an emphasis on clear goals and usable strategies. Cathleen encourages people to notice small changes and to try new behaviors between sessions. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
How sessions work
Therapeutic approaches used in online sessions
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person's own perspective and priorities. It involves listening closely, reflecting what matters, and helping people find their own solutions to relationship and parenting concerns.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify patterns of thinking that lead to stress and anxiety. It uses practical exercises and behavior changes to reduce worry and improve daily coping. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) looks at attachment and closeness. It helps people name emotions, express needs, and repair strained connections when intimacy or relationship distance is a concern.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with the client to choose methods that match their goals, preferences, and the issues they bring. This may mean trying an approach for a few sessions and adjusting as needed.
Confirm the current session options before booking, as formats are not specified here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and reduce travel time. They also allow for shorter check-ins when that fits a client's routine and for using exercises and homework that integrate into everyday family life.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of family concerns does she address?
She works with issues such as blended family problems, divorce and separation, family of origin concerns, and caregiving stress.
What is her general therapeutic style?
She follows a person-centered approach and blends in practical methods like CBT and Solution-Focused techniques to set goals and build skills.
How much experience does she have?
She has 25 years of professional work experience as an LMFT practicing in California.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is an LMFT licensed in California and practices from that state.
Can she work with people who speak other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she accept clients outside the United States?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are session costs handled?
Fees vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.