Cat Bice, LCSW, LICSW
Offering individual sessions, relationship counseling, discernment counseling,
and clinical supervision.
Typically my clients reach out to me because of feelings of sadness, worry, and disconnection in important relationships. My clients are often people who describe themselves as being “do-ers”, goal oriented people who have difficulty slowing down to understand their internal world and why they do what they do. Many of my clients are medical professionals, first responders, and veterans who have worked hard to train themselves to manage their emotional reactions because of the need to focus and perform in their work setting. This skill of sidelining emotions becomes a double edged sword that can lead to professional recognition, but loneliness or isolation in relationships.
My approach to therapy relies on helping clients feel heard and understood. Once we feel understood, we are more easily able to open up to the emotions that underlie the distress. I have a warm, open style with room for humor. I tend towards a straightforward approach and have been called direct, but my directness comes from a place of transparency, with compassion and deep respect for how hard it can be to show up to the therapeutic process.
Relationship Counseling
Relationship counseling sees the relationship between the couple as the client and the work of the sessions is on improving the quality of that relationship. The goal of the counselor is not to take sides or decide who is "right" in the argument of the moment. Rather, the counselor's work is to help each member of the couple to slow down, see and hear themselves, see and hear their partner, and come to a different understanding of the cycles of unhelpful behavior that have developed.
In recent years, I have been increasingly drawn to understanding the role of attachment, relationships, and our feelings of connection to others as a core element of good mental health and overall wellbeing. This has led me to pursue training and certification in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), which grows out of our understanding of how attachment and early relationships shape our emotional lives. It looks at human distress with a non-pathologising framework that helps us make sense of the relationship between experiences in the past and our behaviors and emotions in the present. The sessions help couples see and understand the distressing patterns of interaction, then change this cycle as core emotions and needs are attended to.
Discernment Counseling
Discernment counseling is a structured, short term intervention with couples who are on the brink of separation or divorce. These sessions are focused on engaging the couple in a deliberate and intentional process of discerning their commitment to the relationship and their willingness to do to the work that would be needed to change the harmful patterns. At the end of discernment counseling, the couple chooses one of three paths: keep doing what you're doing; separate/divorce; commit to a period of couples therapy with a real intent towards change.
Clinical Supervision
I offer individual supervision to social workers who are pursuing their clinical licensure. Currently, the supervision hours I offer can count towards the LCSW credential in Oregon, the LICSW credential in Washington, and the LCSW credential in Hawai'i.
Please reach out to me directly so we can talk more about my style, your goals, and your timeline for supervision to see if it is the right fit.
More Information
Catherine (Cat) Bice, LCSW, LICSW
Education:
1998 B.Phil-Miami University, Oxford Ohio
2000 MSW-University of Maryland, Baltimore
Licensure
As a telehealth provider, I hold licenses in several states so that I can serve clients in different areas of the country.
Oregon License # L3689
Washington License # LW00008164
Hawaii License# LCSW-4337
Virginia License # 904011980
You can read more about me on my Portland Therapy Center profile here.