Cait Gaines

Hi! I’m a licensed independent clinical social worker with a background in both mental health and law. I work primarily with adults and have experience with anxiety, depression, substance use, self-esteem, life transitions, and plenty of other things that can make life feel harder than it should.

I’m naturally warm, curious, and easygoing, and I want you to feel comfortable being yourself in our sessions. You don’t need to have everything figured out before you come to therapy. We can start wherever you are and work from there. I take therapy seriously, but I don’t take myself too seriously—so I think there should be room for some laughs, too.

I believe therapy can be both supportive and practical. I like to understand what’s really going on, talk things through, and then figure out what we can actually do about it. I draw from CBT, ACT, and DBT, but I don’t believe therapy should follow a formula. I’ll listen, ask questions, share my perspective, and gently challenge you when it might be helpful. We’ll work on making changes while also learning to be a little kinder to yourself along the way.

Our first session is mostly about getting to know each other and getting a sense of what brings you to therapy. You can tell me what’s been going on in whatever way feels natural—there’s no need to have your story perfectly organized or know exactly what you need. I’ll ask questions, we’ll talk, and we’ll start figuring out what might be helpful. More than anything, I want you to leave feeling comfortable with me and like you can actually imagine having an honest, productive conversation with me each week.