Cathy W. Gibson

Cathy Gibson has spent more than 40 years believing that people deserve to feel seen, understood, and given a clear path toward healing. Over time, that calling grew beyond the counseling room. She began asking what might become possible if counselors were also deeply supported, thoughtfully trained, and given a place to continue growing throughout their careers. Cathy knew from the age of 11 that she wanted to become a counselor. At that same age, her faith became deeply personal to her, and she began to believe that counseling was part of God’s calling for her life. After decades of counseling and supervising others, that calling eventually led her to establish Pinnacle Counseling Institute.

Throughout her years as a counselor, Cathy worked with women, men, and couples navigating trauma, depression, relationship struggles, spiritual concerns, narcissistic abuse, and difficult family dynamics. She believes many of our deepest wounds happen within relationships and that healing can also happen through a relationship where someone feels safe, understood, and genuinely cared for.

Cathy founded Pinnacle to bring together three things she deeply values: providing high-quality counseling, developing skilled and compassionate counselors, and making care accessible to people who might otherwise be unable to afford it. As a nonprofit organization, Pinnacle works to reduce financial barriers and help more individuals and families receive the support they need.

Today, Cathy’s primary focus is leading and developing Pinnacle and investing in the counselors who serve its clients. She devotes her time to clinical supervision, consultation, mentorship, organizational leadership, and creating opportunities for counselors to grow professionally, personally, and spiritually.

As a Qualified Supervisor and Approved Clinical Supervisor, Cathy helps counselors recognize their strengths, develop their clinical skills, and grow in confidence as they care for others. She has provided individual and group supervision to graduate students and master’s-level counselors pursuing licensure. She believes effective counseling involves more than learning techniques. It also requires self-awareness, humility, curiosity, and the ability to create relationships where clients feel safe, understood, and genuinely cared for.

Cathy’s own healing journey continues to shape the culture she works to build at Pinnacle. Through that process, she experienced a deep sense of God’s unconditional love and came to understand how healing within a safe relationship can transform the way people see themselves and connect with others. She wants Pinnacle’s counselors to offer that same kind of compassionate, relational care to every person who walks through the door.

Under Cathy’s leadership, Pinnacle continues to provide high-quality counseling, invest in the development of its counselors, and work to keep care accessible for individuals and families. Outside of work, Cathy has been married over 45 years and enjoys spending time with their three adult children and spouses, and her eight delightful grandchildren. She loves the beach, playing pickleball, learning anything that helps her grow personally, clinically and spiritually and sharing meals and meaningful conversations with family and friends.

Cathy loves continuing to see clients through her private practice Vista Psychology Services on a limited basis.