Rate Katherine Holley

Hello! My name is Katherine Holley. I am a Licensed Psychotherapist with over 14 years of experience. I began my career in counseling in 2009 as a therapist at a not for profit agency assisting people to make difficult transitions often facing depression, anxiety, job loss and trauma. My positions that followed were that of an Outpatient Therapist, Intensive Outpatient Group Facilitator, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy instructor and Dialectical Behavior Therapist. As you can see, I have been honored to help people in many different life situations. I believe that remaining non-judgmental and my goal of serving others has made me successful in that I am able to exclusively focus on your needs and goals.

If you have any reservations about online counseling, I encourage you to give it a try, as I have found it to be a highly effective and convenient therapeutic modality and can attest to this with utmost confidence.

My clinical philosophy is one of a humanistic nature, with emphasis on the therapeutic relationship as the most essential building block of the counseling process. My therapeutic style is warm, interactive, attentive and compassionate. I believe that genuineness, unconditional positive regard and empathy are critical to the helping process. As needed, I am also direct and structured in my approach and tend to assign therapeutic homework or tasks to enhance the progression of the helping process in between sessions. I have the ability to tailor and pace treatment to your individual and unique needs, and I am sensitive to evolving the process at your pace and convenience while still promoting and prompting advancement toward your goals. Furthermore, I take a holistic approach to health and wellness, with emphasis on achieving balance in major life domains. I believe that when needs, desires or aspirations are unfulfilled in one significant realm, the others are affected as well and this creates imbalance in one's life, leading to stress, anxiety, inconsistency, overwhelmed feelings, lack of self-care, etc. Lastly, in terms of professional characteristics and standards of care, I operate with the highest degree. I was esteemed throughout my career for my level of professionalism, ethical conduct, organization, efficiency and grace.

My educational background includes: a Bachelor's degree with honors of Arts in Social Work from University of Michigan a master's degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor Michigan; and additional post-graduate coursework in Substance Abuse Counseling, trained Dialectical Behavioral Therapist, Motivational practices, Mindfulness and Meditation courses and I am trained in Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Eating Disorders, and specialized in family/Relationship studies. I enjoy the pursuit of continued education, training and professional development through ongoing seminars in specialized areas, reading and self-study. I highly value knowledge, information and effective application of therapeutic theories, models, strategies, and techniques that may benefit the people I serve. My clinical experience includes working with various diverse populations and treatment modalities, and the full spectrum of issues and disorders ranging from the most simple to the most complex co-occurring conditions. I have specialized in treating depression/anxiety/stress, substance abuse/dependency, emotional/physical/sexual abuse, trauma and grief/loss. I also have extensive experience with counseling issues in the following areas: Eating Disorders, Self-Harm behaviors, Relationships,Parenting, Family, Intimacy-related, Anger, LGBTQ, Self-esteem & Addictions in general.

Depression, anxiety and stress are some of the most common challenges faced by individuals who seek counseling. In this realm, I have worked with children, adolescents and adults in residential/hospital, outpatient and community-based settings. I have provided individual, group and family services around these issues, and facilitated psycho-educational counseling groups and workshops on coping skills, stress management/reduction, self-esteem and assertive communication training. My approach, though eclectic, tends to be cognitive-behavioral, which is very effective in treating these issues. This active intervention is problem-focused and goal-directed in examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviors; and modifying unhelpful or negative patterns of thinking that lead to self-destructive beliefs and actions, to improve coping and overall wellness. I also educate clients on the use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills i.e., mindfulness practice and self-compassion to address and validate one's personal experience with distress, pain and suffering; and help diminish associated negative symptoms. Learning how to self-soothe and regulate emotions through effective relaxation, calming and grounding strategies is a significant component of my clinical approach in addressing depression, anxiety and stress.

I have extensive experience in treating adolescents and adults who struggle with substance abuse and dependency issues. Throughout my career, I have provided these services in various settings and levels of care from the least to the most restrictive. I am very passionate about working with people who struggle with this challenging issue, one day at a time, toward a healthy recovery and substance-free lifestyle while always maintaining a strong emphasis on healthy coping skills, positive support systems and relapse prevention planning.

In the specialized area of treating the effects of abuse and trauma, I have worked with child and adult survivors of emotional/physical/sexual abuse and violence often resulting in self-harm, eating disorders and difficulty managing relationships. I have extensive experience working with acute and post-traumatic stress disorder and have developed and facilitated group curriculum that focus on reducing isolation, guilt/shame and self-blame; building self-esteem, positive support systems and healthy coping skills; and increasing a sense of mastery and empowerment. I am also very knowledgeable about and skilled at working with survivors on effective relaxation, grounding and anchoring techniques to help diminish anxiety and maintain a balanced state of arousal and focus in the present moment. Encouraging self-forgiveness is also very important to me in helping survivors let go of illegitimate shame or guilt derived from any unwanted responses to, or effects from the abuse. Throughout the healing journey, I am sensitive to guiding the process at a pace that feels comfortable and safe to each individual, and promoting respite from focusing on difficult material if/when it becomes too emotionally burdensome. To help prevent any inadvertent re-traumatization from occurring during the counseling process, I am especially conscientious and attentive to providing trauma-informed care.

Throughout my career, I have helped children, adolescents and families work through grief/loss challenges. In my professional opinion, there is no one particular formula for grieving. Though there are common elements or phases of grief, everyone grieves differently. It is a very personal experience and individual response to coping with significant loss of any kind - death, separation/divorce, relocation, retirement, job loss/change, etc. Grief occurs in stages, which may come like waves in the ocean, ascending and receding at any given time and in no particular order. I am skilled at helping people understand this phenomenon and learn how to navigate these treacherous waters. I have expertise in providing compassionate support and effective strategies to aid individuals through this vulnerable and difficult time toward a place of healing and acceptance.

I genuinely admire your initiative and courage to reach out for support, and look forward to working together toward your goals. With patience and commitment and dedication to this process, this is the first step toward a happier and healthier or more evolved you.

I hope to hear from you soon,

Katherine