Catherine Tamayo, MS LPCC
FOUNDING THERAPIST, CLINICAL SUPERVISOR
Bilingual in Spanish and English
I am dedicated to supporting children, adolescents, and adults facing challenges related to anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), trauma, depression, life transitions, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationships. A significant part of my career has been spent in intensive hospitalization settings, where I received specialized training under the guidance of leading experts in the fields of OCD, depression, and PTSD.
I have experience supporting children and families as they transitioned from the California juvenile detention system. I have also supported individuals who have struggled leaving their homes by gradually assisting them to regain a sense of independence, inner trust, and awareness ultimately facilitating their return to daily activities and pursuit of personal goals.
While my approach is person-centered in nature, I draw strongly from evidence-based treatment practices, including ERP, I-CBT, PE, CPT, ACT, and BA. Although knowledge and experience are important, I believe one of the key aspects of successful work in therapy comes from the strength of the client-therapist relationship. I strive to create an atmosphere of respect and empowerment for individuals of all statuses, affiliations, backgrounds and identities. I may assist in navigating but you’re the driver in your life.
I’m pursuing additional specialization in nutritional psychology, with a focus on how nutrition and hormonal changes across the lifespan affect mental health and support more individualized care.
MMC is founded on the value of providing an environment that feels collaborative, safe, and free of judgment.
I am a Minnesota Board-approved clinical supervisor and also provide mental health performance consultation services.
Meet Sunny
Sunny is a service dog in training being prepared to assist in a behavioral health treatment setting. His training focuses on specific, task-based behaviors that support evidence-based interventions for trauma-related and anxiety-based disorders. These tasks are intended to help mitigate physiological arousal, avoidance, and distress responses that can interfere with treatment progress.
Training Plan
Sunny is enrolled in pre-service dog training emphasizing:
Task-based behavioral conditioning and cue reliability
Controlled desensitization and graded exposure protocols
Environmental acclimation to therapy settings
Preparation for formal therapy-dog certification through a recognized organization
Intended Clinical Role
Upon completion of training, Sunny will:
Participate in structured animal-assisted behavioral therapy sessions under professional supervision
Support exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD, phobia, and trauma-related conditions by facilitating approach behaviors without providing reassurance or re-enforcement of avoidance.
Assist clients in maintaining treatment engagement, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation during high-intensity interventions
Contribute to improved outcomes within tailored evidence-based behavioral therapy modalities
Certification and Oversight
All training and clinical participation occur under the direction of Catherine Tamayo, MS, LPCC, a licensed behavioral health clinician. Documentation of Sunny’s training progress, certifications, and participation will be maintained for compliance and verification purposes.