Catherine Filary

If you're carrying something heavy — whether that's a relationship that left you questioning your own worth, a battle with substances that feels bigger than you, or a past that keeps showing up uninvited — I want you to know you found the right place.

I've spent ten years sitting with people in some of their darkest moments, and what I've learned is this: you don't have to have it figured out to start. You just have to show up.

My work centers on substance use and addiction, trauma, depression, anxiety, and the lasting impact of unhealthy or harmful relationships. These aren't just clinical categories to me — they're the real, layered struggles I've walked alongside in some of the most demanding clinical settings out there. I spent three years at the VA working with veterans carrying complex, often invisible wounds, and five years at Hope Network supporting people navigating addiction and limited resources who had been written off by nearly every system around them. I'm a licensed therapist in Michigan and a certified alcohol and drug abuse counselor, and that combination of credentials and lived clinical experience shapes every session I lead.

My approach

I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as my foundation — which means we work together to understand the patterns between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and we build practical tools to shift the ones that aren't serving you. But CBT in my hands isn't rigid or formulaic. I adapt it to you — your history, your pace, your personality. Whether you're someone who wants to dig into the roots of what's happening or you need tangible strategies you can use this week, we'll find what works.

What makes my approach different is the connection I lead with. People don't open up because a therapist is technically skilled — they open up because they feel genuinely met. I've worked across a wide range of people and backgrounds, and I connect authentically across differences. That's not a soft skill. It's the foundation of everything.

Come as you are — no polished explanation required. Our first session is a real conversation. I'll ask about your life, your struggles, and what you're hoping might look different. And I'll actually listen — not just to what you say, but to what's underneath it.

I've watched people transform their lives from some very dark starting points. I bring that belief into every single session — including yours.