About Me

Hey, I’m Katie!

I am a native of K’ville, GA (unincorporated) but spent about half of my childhood living on St. Simon’s Island, GA, as well. This exposure to two very different worlds helped to solidify the values that I hold dear, which have also influenced my work with clients. I’ve seen the positive difference it can make in a client’s life to be intimately familiar with their personal values and to actively practice applying those values to their actions.

In 2015, I graduated from the College of Coastal Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Shortly after, I began the Master of Social Work degree program at Valdosta State University, which I graduated from in 2018. In July of 2022, I obtained my title as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and became eligible to begin practicing independently. I am currently working on a Master of School Counseling degree at Walden University, which I plan to complete in 2026.

While getting my first Master’s degree, I worked at a Regional Youth Detention Center, providing individual and group skill-building sessions to the youth detained there. I also spent a few months working for the Department of Family and Children Services in investigations. Before graduating, I began work with a Community Service Board, where I provided individual therapy and assessments for the Child and Adolescent and Adult outpatient departments. From there, I worked in private practice, providing individual therapy to clients with a variety of different backgrounds, ages, and other demographics in schools, homes, and in-office. Before COVID struck, I was working in Temporary Observation and Crisis Stabilization Units, primarily providing evaluations for in-patient hospitalization. After the onset of COVID, and a site-wide furlough, I sought another position to continue earning clinical hours towards my LCSW license, and spent the next two years in the Mental Health Department at a Regional Youth Detention Center providing mental health services to the youth detained there. In an effort to get closer to home after expanding our family, I have found my long-term work-home at a local high school, where I have been working full time as a School Counselor since 2022. I am currently pursuing my second Master’s degree in School Counseling, per Georgia’s requirements, to be able to continue working with the teens there.

Although I thoroughly enjoy what I do as a School Counselor, it is outside of scope of practice for a School Counselor to provide clinical therapy. I wanted to continue developing long-term therapeutic relationships with clients, so I provide those services after school to a select number of clients. I feel I am getting the best of both worlds - engaging with teens and families in my community by day and providing highly focused clinical therapy to adults by afternoon! By keeping my caseload low, I am able to spend the time needed to research up-to-date interventions for each need and to plan client sessions in depth.

My core belief for providing therapy is that I will not judge my clients, as I want them to be free to share any thoughts and emotions with me. I do not incorporate religion into my practice, aside from encouraging the use of any religious beliefs that can be used as healthy coping mechanisms or exploring the meaning of religion to my clients. My therapeutic style is typically laid-back, although I do emphasize the use of evidenced-based therapeutic practices to ensure treatment is as effective as possible. I use an eclectic therapeutic approach, which just means I tailor therapy to the client based on what works best for them. I welcome clients from all backgrounds and with various beliefs and life experiences. Open-mindedness is a value that I practice daily in all aspects of life.

When I’m not living out my life-passion as a mental health provider and School Counselor, I am enjoying time with my husband, our two young children, and our pets, reading for fun, and practicing self-care between assignments for school.