Dr. Laura Gray is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in providing cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with anxiety and mood difficulties and for youth living with medical conditions, as well as providing psychoeducational and psychodiagnostic assessments for children and adolescents. Dr. Gray specializes in pediatric psychology and pediatric pain management. Dr. Gray focuses on providing exceptional clinical services with a warm, supportive, family-focused manner with all clients and families.

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In therapy, Dr. Gray strives to empower youth to take back control of their life, equipping them with a variety of tools to better manage anxiety, depression, stress, and expectations. She utilizes evidence-based interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and mindfulness-based relaxation strategies. Her treatment approach helps clients to develop skills to cope with stress, manage psychological or medical challenges, prioritize meaningful life activities, and prioritize positive relationships.

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In her testing, Dr. Gray strives to provide a hopeful path forward, understanding that most have experiences years of frustration and discouragement leading up to this evaluation. She prides herself in individualized approach to each client. Dr. Gray specializes in helping parents understand how their child’s unique strengths can inform their educational path and social-emotional development.  Dr. Gray especially enjoys helping clients and their families understand the impact of anxiety and mood/behavior challenges on academic functioning. Her testing assesses for underlying attention-deficit, executive functioning deficits, learning disabilities, and anxiety/mood disorders that impact academic achievement. Her goal is to provide families with a comprehensive and easy-to-read report to facilitate a rich understanding of their youth’s unique style of thinking, learning, and behaving, including their areas of strengths and difficulties. She incorporates her training as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist (CBT) to help families understand the links among thoughts, behaviors, and mood and how they impact their approach to school and social interactions. She strives to include thoughtful and applicable recommendations, so families leave with a clear path forward to reach their goals.

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Dr. Gray has worked across multiple settings including hospitals and private practice. She continues working at the local Children’s Hospital, providing individual and group therapy to treat chronic pain, improve quality of life living with medical conditions, and to treat anxiety and mood disorders. She has also worked within group private practice providing psychoeducational (cognition and learning) and comprehensive (cognition, learning, social/emotional and behavioral factors) assessments for youth with ADHD, dyslexia, learning difficulties, and executive functioning difficulties. She has provided training and supervision for doctoral graduate students, interns, and post-doctoral fellows. Dr. Gray has also held leadership positions for several national and state psychological associations. Additionally, Dr. Gray provides expert interviews for both local and national media outlets, a platform that she enjoys using to decrease stigma related to mental health and to support youth and parents navigating life stressors and transitions.

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Education:

• The George Washington University: Ph.D.  Clinical Psychology

• Miami University (OH): B.A.                    Psychology (Honors)

 

Internship & Fellowship Training:

• Boston Children’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School

• Boston Children’s Hospital – Clinical Fellow in Psychology, Pain Treatment Service, Harvard Medical School

Life can change in an instant—or the weight of difficult experiences can build slowly over time. Whether you're navigating trauma, grief, relationship challenges, anxiety, burnout, or a major life transition, therapy can provide a place to slow down, gain perspective, and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

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Cate Riihimaki is a Licensed Professional Counselor with more two decades of experience helping adults, adolescents, and families heal from life's most difficult experiences. While she has worked with clients facing a wide range of concerns, her specialty is helping adults recover from trauma, process grief and loss, strengthen relationships, and reconnect with themselves after challenging life events.

 

Cate believes that healing begins in a therapeutic relationship built on trust, compassion, and authenticity. She creates a warm, supportive environment where clients feel heard without judgment while being gently challenged to discover new perspectives, healthier patterns, and practical strategies for lasting change. Every person's story is unique, and therapy is tailored to each client's individual goals, strengths, and experiences.

Her approach integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and strengths-based, solution-focused interventions. Depending on each client's needs, she also incorporates creative and expressive techniques, helping clients develop practical tools to manage emotions, improve relationships, build resilience, and create meaningful change beyond the therapy room.

 

Before opening her private practice, Cate provided individual, group, and family therapy at the Wendt Center for Loss & Healing, the Imago Center of Greater Washington, and Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care, Inc. Her work with individuals experiencing bereavement, traumatic loss, chronic illness, and post-traumatic stress deepened her commitment to helping people find hope and healing after adversity.

 

Cate has worked in schools, hospitals, community agencies, and private practice, giving her a broad perspective on the emotional challenges people face throughout different stages of life. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), a Certified Telemental Health Provider (CTHP), and is licensed as a Professional Counselor in both Virginia and Maine.

In addition to providing therapy,

 

Cate is a Virginia Board-approved clinical supervisor who enjoys mentoring the next generation of counselors as they develop confidence and clinical expertise.

 

Outside of work, Cate enjoys spending time with her spouse and four children. You'll often find her playing tennis, hiking, traveling, gardening, enjoying the water, or gathering family and friends around a board game.

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Education:

University of Virginia

• M.Ed., Ed.S. – Mental Health Counseling

• William & Mary

• B.A. – Psychology and Elementary Education (K–8)

 

Clinical Training:

• Wendt Center for Loss & Healing – Washington, DC

• The Imago Center of Greater Washington – Washington, DC

• Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care, Inc. – Washington, DC

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