Hey there! My name is Katie (she/her/hers).

Here’s a little background information about me and how I got here.

My path to becoming a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) has certainly felt precarious and non-linear.

Before graduate school, I first received my Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, Florida.

I have always enjoyed writing (fiction and non-fiction) and took pride in being a thorough communicator. Journalism helped me better navigate how to adapt a specific message to a multitude of audiences through word choice (writing), photo, video and audio. Through journalism, I learned that I really enjoyed talking to and building rapport with strangers. It felt like a privilege to be let into a story of a moment in someone’s life and to hold it with such genuine curiousity through asking questions - (I was definitely the child who often asked “why” and “how” until a point of exhaustion!) Also, my first job, at age 15 was at a local restaurant as a server so I had developed this social skill of relating to strangers early on in life - or just on time!

After receiving my Bachelor’s Degree, I took a few years off from school to help open up a coffee shop, work on my hobbies, travel and do precarious freelance work related to photo, video or copywriting/copyediting.

A few years later, I moved to New York with no clear agenda. My first job upon moving to the city was a bartender in the Meat Packing District. I overlapped this job with going back to coffee as a barista in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

Shortly after moving to the city, Covid hit and I got Covid within the first wave - early on. I was knocked out of work for about two weeks. This was the first time I had been still since moving to the city - forced rest! During this time of anxiety, isolation and healing, I took the time to look inward and reflect. I began to ask myself: Where am I going? What do I want to accomplish with my time in NYC?

I began to assess what I liked about all of my previous jobs, and it always came back to connecting with and helping people. During this time of reflection, I was flooded with memories of myself, sitting on my carpeted-bedroom-floor with a pile of rented books from the local library (before the internet was a thing!) as a young teenager, reading collections of case studies on various psychological disorders to try to better understand how to relate to, communicate with, advocate for and protect my brother (therapy and mental health awareness was not a thing then in the South).

It felt like it all clicked into place. I then decided to research grad schools for Counseling, applied to NYU on a whim and definitely didn’t think I would get in - I was wrong! Because the world had stopped, my previous professors and colleagues had the time to get me any necessary letters of recommendation needed for the application.

A few months later, I started graduate school through the Applied Psychology Department of NYU Steinhardt to earn my Master’s Degree in Mental Health & Wellness. I received my internship clinical hours through Brooklyn Minds Psychiatry that later got acquired by Curated.

I also received additional learning and credit hours through Postpartum Support International (PSI) focused on supporting various Parenatal Mood Disorders for both birthing and non-birthing parents.

Education Background & Vocational History

Bachelor’s Degree

Vocational History

Master’s Degree

I would describe myself as a am warm, disarming, collaborative and culturally-competent therapist. I really love my job (so much) and recognize how lucky and privileged I am to have a job that (1) I enjoy and (2) is also in alignment with my personal morals and values.

I have been told that I have a soft, child-like voice but don’t let it fool you! Once a foundation of trust is built, it’s my job to stretch and challenge the client toward new and sometimes uncomfortable avenues of perspective and healing (though I will alway move at the client’s pace and prioritize their autonomy).

I really enjoy utilizing imagination, thought experiments (exposure therapy) and time-appropriate humor and laughter in session. There is extensive research on the importance of utilizing imagination like a muscle and how imagination can be used to combat rigidity linked with depression.

During sessions, I like to keep my coloring and drawing utensils on my desk in the chance that art therapy is appropriate - a picture is worth a thousand words they say! I also enjoy implementing psychodrama into treatment as a form of processing complex narratives. Breath and movement are also sometimes necessary in session to help ground and regulate the client’s nervous system.

I’d eventually love to incorporate more movement into therapy as well as music and sound as a way of interpreting and processing emotions.

As far as style goes, I tend to lean more psychodynamic, existential and use elements of Jungian Psychology. I like to use metaphors and imagination to expand emotional experiences. At the same time, I can be very practical, heavily lean in CBT, and providing structure, homework and goal setting. I am able to adapt my style to fit the clients needs for treatment. I routinely check in with the client to receive feedback on what they feel is working and what is not working.

The Psychodynamic Approach: Part of my job is to sit in early childhood development and family dynamics to try to gain as much historical context as I can on the client’s earliest formed thought patterns, attachment styles, narratives about the self and beliefs about the world and others.

CBT Approach: Most of my job is to (1) identify cognitive thinking errors and automatic thoughts (2) link how these automatic narratives turn into rigid and limiting beliefs (3) understand how these beliefs affect the client’s behaviors and decision-making. Once these patterns are identified, tools can be implemented to challenge and reframe old and limiting beliefs, rewrite narratives, expand the inner language, vocabulary and dialogue of how the client view’s themselves which can reshape their identity and therefore behaviors and decision-making.

Therapeutic Style

I like to move! You might see me biking/cycling around Brooklyn on a sunny day! I also play outdoor volleyball games and tournaments around Brooklyn often.

I like to make things! In my free time, I’m usually picking up my guitar or sitting at my keyboard to write music. I also enjoy 2D art like drawing and painting if the weather is overcast or rainy. I used to sell vintage clothes so you might see me hopping around a few thrift stores.

I like learning! I enjoy reading philosophical, cultural and scientific texts (surprise! surprise!) I don’t really enjoy reading fiction. I like to listen to podcasts that challenge my thinking and expand my world view.

I have to cats! You might see my cats, Millie and Rudy in the background of a session here and there. They are both ten years old and have moved with me from Florida about 6 years ago. They love birds and sunshine and are confused by snow.

What I do for Fun :)

Can’t wait to connect with you!

- Katie

QUESTIONS? LET’S CHAT.

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