Catherine Daem, LMSW

Catherine creates a supportive, nonjudgmental space where clients can slow down, feel safe and do meaningful work.

Trauma doesn’t always look obvious. It often shows up as anxiety, emotional overwhelm, disconnection or difficulty setting boundaries. Catherine specializes in helping clients move beyond symptom management to process what’s underneath, so they can feel more regulated, grounded and in control, and stop living in survival mode.

She works with adults who have experienced trauma, adults with ADHD and neurodivergent adults, and people navigating anxiety, depression, grief, life transitions, relationship challenges or low self-esteem. Her approach is collaborative and tailored to each person, helping clients build resilience, find balance and reconnect with their strengths.

Catherine also helps clients understand their relationship patterns: why relationships keep feeling hard, why the same conflicts repeat, or why they keep being drawn to the wrong kind of partner. Together they explore where those patterns started, heal what’s driving them and build the self-awareness and boundaries that lead to healthier connections.

Catherine holds a master’s degree in clinical social work from Arizona State University and is an EMDRIA-trained EMDR provider. Her experience spans community mental health agencies, nonprofit organizations and private practice, so she has worked with a wide range of people, backgrounds and challenges, and brings that depth to every client she sees. Her work is grounded in a holistic psychology approach that considers the whole person: mind, body, nervous system and lifestyle. She integrates evidence-based approaches including EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), mindfulness-based and attachment-based work. With a bachelor’s degree in health promotion and health education, also from ASU, she is also trained in mental health nutrition and working toward certification, so she can consider how sleep, food and the body affect mood, focus and stress alongside the emotional work.

The therapy garden

Catherine is a Certified Master Gardener, and her office includes a therapy garden. There, she teaches clients emotional regulation and grounding through the art of learning how to grow plants and food. Tending soil, seeds and seasons is a hands-on way to slow down, get out of your head and back into your body, practice patience and build a sense of calm, capability and growth you can carry into everyday life.

Her mission includes creating green spaces that serve as sanctuaries for healing.

Specialties

• Trauma & PTSD
• EMDR therapy
• Adult ADHD & neurodivergence
• Anxiety
• Depression & mood
• Grief & life transitions
• Boundaries, codependency & self-esteem
• Relationship patterns & partner choices
• Relationship & family stress
• Emotional regulation & coping skills
• Mental health nutrition (trained; certification in progress)

Approaches

• Holistic psychology
• EMDR (EMDRIA-trained)
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Mindfulness-based & attachment-based
• Trauma-focused & emotionally focused
• Garden-based horticultural therapy

Credentials

• Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), State of Arizona, license #21905
• Master of Social Work (MSW), Clinical Social Work, Arizona State University
• Bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion & Health Education, Arizona State University
• Trained in mental health nutrition, working toward certification
• EMDRIA-trained EMDR provider
• Certified Master Gardener
• Experience in community agency, nonprofit and private practice settings

Working with Catherine

Catherine sees adult clients who live in Arizona, in person at our Phoenix office on E Northern Ave or by secure telehealth. She is LGBTQ+ affirming and welcomes clients of all backgrounds. Sessions are private pay, and superbills are available for out-of-network reimbursement. See fees.

View Catherine’s Psychology Today profile