Katie O'Leary, LPC

My Story

Currently Accepting new clients for 1:1 Childhood Trauma Stress Coaching & Couples Coaching

Learn more here.

No longer accepting clients for Therapy

My passion for becoming a Mental Health Practitioner began in Christchurch, New Zealand.

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I was working at the YMCA after a devastating earthquake. I watched how trauma and chronic stress didn’t just affect people’s thoughts — it lived in their bodies. I saw anxiety in tight shoulders. Grief in shallow breathing. Survival in always being “on.”

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That’s when it clicked: healing isn’t just in the mind. It’s in the body, too.

I learned that recovery is not a quick fix. It’s a steady, ongoing process where both the brain and body need care, attention, and understanding.

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When I returned to the United States, I studied Holistic Counseling at Salve Regina University. There, I was trained in both the medical model and the holistic model of mental health. I became deeply curious about the mind-body connection — especially how trauma, chronic illness, and chronic stress shape our nervous system.

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I continued studying:

• EMDR and trauma recovery

• Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness

• Neurotransmitters and hormones

• Digestion and the gut-brain connection

• Nutrition and stress

• Spiritual practices and nature-based healing

• Self-compassion and nervous system regulation

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My approach blends science and soul. Structure and softness. Education and lived experience.

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My style of care? Empowerment — with a side of humor.

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I believe learning about your mind and body should feel clear and accessible, not overwhelming. I teach. I encourage. And yes, sometimes we laugh. Healing doesn’t have to be heavy all the time.

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When I’m not working, you can find me in the woods with my husband, our three- year-old daughter, 9-month old daughter, and our two mini-American shepherds.

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And if I hadn’t become a Mental Health Practitioner?
My dream job would’ve been a comedian on Saturday Night Live.

(So you may still get a little comedic timing in session.)

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