Where Athena stands
- Credentials
- LISW
- License
- LISW, Ohio / I.2102916-SUPV
- NPI
- 1891174215
- Experience
- 12 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Ohio
About
- Client-centered approach
- CBT and DBT methods
- Trauma informed tools
About Athena
Athena McCaman is an Ohio LISW with 12 years of experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, relationship strain, parenting concerns, and ADHD-related challenges. She also lists codependency and issues like abandonment, control problems, and isolation among her focus areas.
Athena uses a client-centered stance. She listens for what matters to each person and builds goals from there. Sessions are practical and aim to identify patterns that keep someone stuck, such as people-pleasing or avoiding conflict.
Her work often includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy strategies, and motivational techniques to help with coping and behavior change. She also brings EMDR and mindfulness practices when trauma or intense emotion are central concerns. These methods are used to reduce distressing symptoms and to practice new ways of responding to stress.
Athena has a background in social work and chemical dependency counseling, and she has worked with individuals and groups around substance use and PTSD. That experience informs how she talks about addiction, relapse risk, and rebuilding routines after crisis.
In sessions she tends to teach specific skills - for example, distress tolerance, thought reappraisal, and grounding exercises. She helps people practice communication and boundary-setting skills that can reduce people-pleasing and resentment. To start, she asks about practical goals and what would feel different in daily life.
How sessions work
How Athena translates common approaches to online work
Client-centered therapy starts by asking what matters most to the client and shaping sessions around those priorities. It focuses on listening, clarifying goals, and reflecting back what the person says so practical steps can follow. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps identify unhelpful thoughts and test new actions. It uses short exercises and homework to practice different thinking and behavior patterns between sessions.Finding the right approach is collaborative. Athena will talk with the client about symptoms, life demands, and what methods feel workable. Together they decide whether to focus on skill-building, trauma processing, or motivation and then adjust as progress is tracked.
Session formats supported should be confirmed before booking. Ask which online options are currently offered and how sessions are scheduled. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a day, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and remove travel time so sessions can be attended from elsewhere. It also makes it possible to practice skills in real-life settings between meetings. Licensed professionals will discuss how to pace sessions, plan homework, and use mindfulness or DBT skills in the moment to help with anxiety, urges, and emotional regulation.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Listed in
Ohio
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and addictions, plus relationship and parenting concerns. Codependency and family of origin issues are listed among her focus areas.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style is client-centered and practical. She uses CBT, DBT skills, motivational engagement, mindfulness, and sometimes EMDR for trauma.
How much experience does she have?
She has 12 years of professional experience working with individuals and groups on mental health and substance use concerns.
What credentials and location apply?
She is an LISW licensed in Ohio and practices from that state.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Can I work with her from outside the US?
International clients are not accepted; she works with clients within the applicable U.S. jurisdiction.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies by location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What do I do to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.