Meet Erica Cain

Erica Cain is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor specializing in individual and couples therapy. She maintains a private practice (part-time) in Texarkana, Texas. As a professional counselor, her philosophy begins with a humanistic belief that people are innately good. She maintains (full-time) employment with the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons as a Reentry Affairs Coordinator.

She is currently serving as a private practitioner working with a broad spectrum of clients. Erica specializes in issues related to depression, anxiety, life transitions, divorce issues, domestic violence, abortion, and criminal justice (treatment of offenders, helping victims of crime, and assisting criminal justice system personnel – all parties of law enforcement, legal professionals, and law students). She is experienced in working with adults who have been exposed to severe trauma and is particularly interested in working with this population. She enjoys working with people, even when their lives are very troubled and complicated.

Erica draws from various therapeutic perspectives including narrative therapy, solution-focused therapy, person-centered therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and trauma resiliency. Her work is informed by attachment theory (how our early attachment experiences shape our current relationships) and humanistic psychology.

Erica is an interactive, solution-focused therapist. She has an empathetic, warm, intuitive, and non- judgmental style and demeanor. Her humor and candor create a supportive space to process emotions, experiences, cognitions, and patterns. She integrates complementary methodologies and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each client. With compassion and understanding, she works with each individual to increase their awareness of maladaptive practices and infuse or replace these with more functional skills, improve interpersonal relations and increase their quality of life.

Erica believes that at times we all need others to walk with us on our journey through life. She feels therapy is most effective when a strong and trusting relationship exists between the therapist and client. She has been able to forge deep and meaningful therapeutic connections with people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Erica wants to help you embrace practices that elevate resilience and nurture self-compassion. Within a therapeutic environment of safety, acceptance and compassion, Erica works with clients to reach their goals for healing, change, and personal growth.

Other things you may want to know about Erica:
Erica enjoyed working in Psychology in a federal, high security, male penitentiary in Louisiana for several years. She felt working with inmates with a significant history of violence, substance abuse, and mental health issues was one of the most rewarding experiences in her life. These interactions developed skills, understanding and perspective that continue to impact her approach and work with people.

Having worked extensively in residential treatment settings both federal and state, Erica developed a special interest in working with criminal offenders, helping victims of crime, and assisting criminal justice system personnel – all parties of law enforcement, legal professionals, and law students.

Her greatest passion in life has always been enjoying her life, interpersonal relationships, and striving for growth personally and professionally. In her personal life, Erica engages in music appreciation, physical fitness, art, and photography to maintain her balance. She is involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Erica’s current clinical work includes providing individual, couple, and group therapy and providing presentations and workshops regarding mental health and wellness for an array of audiences throughout the community. Her experience has included consulting in schools on mental health and suicide prevention/(AFSP), leading parenting groups, helping college students in transition, and providing grief groups for suicide survivors. She has also provided consultations for graduate students and mental health practitioners. Other clinical experience includes private practice, long-term residential drug treatment and mental health, provided a community support group, provides counseling to the homeless community, and offender rehabilitation and reentry.

"You can talk with a high degree of privacy and not be concerned about appearing foolish, about very personal matters. I will not impose you with advice or opinions but rather help you solve your own problems in a way that works for you. I rarely give advice, however, I may occasionally give advice when asked but not always."