Hello there! My name is Katelyn, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to tell you a little about myself. As an experienced clinician, I’ve discovered that our childhood experiences and the way those around us respond to them can profoundly shape who we are as adults. That’s why I’m passionate about working with children and their families, offering them a safe and supportive environment to process through difficult emotions and experiences.
My Approach to Child Therapy
As a child therapist, I utilize play, humor, and fun activities to connect with children of all ages and their caregivers. Children often communicate in ways adults may not immediately recognize, which can sometimes cause distress and frustrations for themselves and their caregivers. That’s why I work with families to develop communication skills, positive parenting practices, and behavior management strategies to ease the distress within the home.
I specialize in helping children who have experienced trauma or traumatic grief, using Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to reduce trauma symptoms experienced by the child with the support of their caregiver. I’m also committed to helping children understand and overcome other life challenges and stressors, such as depression, anxiety, familial separations, grief, poor self-esteem, and difficulties in school. I use an eclectic approach to develop a treatment plan and goals that suit the specific needs of each client while drawing from their intrinsic resiliency and strengths.
Why Choose Me?
I believe that every child deserves a safe space to express their emotions and process through their worries and stressors. I’m passionate about providing that space and helping children learn to enjoy their childhood as children.
Therapy dogs are trained to provide support, comfort, and affection, and in Tallulah’s case, a good bit of silliness and humor! As a therapy dog in training, she is learning the ropes and can be a bit rambunctious, as she loves meeting new people, and especially new kiddos! Therapy dogs like Tallulah can help shy kiddos build confidence, reduce anxiety for nervous or worried kids, and even help with talking about hard/scary things by being a source of support and comfort.
Biography
Katelyn has seen both the east and west sides of North Carolina, receiving her Master’s in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2020, and her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology with a Human Services concentration in 2018 at Appalachian State University. During her Master’s program, Katelyn interned with the local Carousel Child Advocacy Center, which solidified her love of working with children and their families, and helping them to process through trauma and build on their intrinsic resiliency. Katelyn is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with advanced trainings in LGBTQ+ youth, traumatic grief, and problematic sexualized behaviors.
In her free time, Katelyn enjoys getting lost in a good book, training her Therapy Dog in Training Tallulah, and trying her hand at baking sweets.