Catherine

My name is Catherine Farr but everyone – really! – calls me Cricket. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Washington State. I earned my MA in Clinical Psychology from UNC Charlotte and promptly moved out to Seattle. I have worked in social services or research in the Puget Sound area for almost 30 years. Looking back, I have worked with children and families who were in recovery; I have assisted in large research projects at the VA and UW; I have worked as a caregiver to two amazing women who were each diagnosed with dementia; I have provided many hours of therapy to vulnerable adults across King County; and I have provided clinical supervision to new counselors who were just learning the ropes. There were challenges all along the way, but I have loved all of it. Ultimately, I like helping people figure out how they can get the most out of life.
Today I work with adults 22 and over, and I especially love working with older adults. In 2017 I completed coursework and training that certified me as a Geriatric Mental Health Specialist (GMHS), and I continue to value and honor the work I do with older adults.
I use a variety of evidence based approaches in my work. The core of my work is centered on cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. CBT focuses on the connection between our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. I also use some Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) components. In all my work I put you, the client, first. We will work together to find a cadence and a path towards healing that works for you.
I often get asked if I have a specialty or area of expertise. While I enjoy and have experience working with people who present with a wide variety of symptoms, I have the most experience working with people who are experiencing symptoms of Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Hoarding Disorder.
A Note on Hoarding Disorder: I did not start off my career intending to become a subject matter expert on hoarding. However, during the last decade, I worked providing mental health treatment to adults whose housing was unstable. I encountered hoarding or high clutter situations almost daily; it was up to me to seek out what information existed! The volume and quality of information and research available has increased greatly over the last 10 years, thank goodness. During the last 5 years I was privileged to work alongside premier researchers and clinicians in the field of Hoarding Disorder. Fast forward to today, and I now find myself able to use that same knowledge for your benefit. How so? I offer consultations with families who have a loved one who is living in a hoarded home. I offer information, expertise and a listening ear, as well as connection to resources. I can also offer evidence-based treatment (yes, there is evidence of treatment working!) to people who are interested and engaged in the process.