Cathy Swift Nagel, LCSW

Office hours: by appointment

Biography

Cathy Swift Nagel, LCSW earned her B.A. from the State University of New York, New Paltz, and her Master of Social Work from California State University, Long Beach. She has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2001.

Since Spring 2025, Cathy has served as a Lecturer in the School of Social Work at San Francisco State University, teaching undergraduate courses including Seminar on Internship Experience and Social Work Practice Methods I. In addition to her teaching role, she has been actively involved in social work education and professional development as a practicum instructor for MSW students in hospital settings and as a clinical supervisor for Associate Social Workers working toward licensure.

Cathy brings more than two decades of clinical experience across nonprofit and medical settings, including youth and family services, psychiatric care, adult day health, acute hospitals, and home health. She currently works per diem as a medical social worker at Alta Bates Medical Center in Oakland and maintains a private psychotherapy practice, providing telehealth services to older and disabled adults throughout California. Her clinical interests include aging, caregiving, chronic illness, loss, life transitions, anxiety, and depression.

Teaching philosophy: Cathy’s teaching emphasizes the integration of theory, self-reflection, and real-world practice within a strengths-based, relational framework. She strives to create a supportive learning environment where students feel respected, challenged, and empowered to build professional confidence, develop critical thinking skills, and examine how their identities and lived experiences shape ethical social work practice.