ABOUT
A little background on me and why I’m so passionate about guiding others through their therapeutic journey.
Welcome! I’m Kathryn.
I found my way into my work of therapy like so many healers and helpers, by needing my own healing.
I grew up in the Southern US where I struggled to find places and people that echoed my longing for depth, meaning, and soul.
Despite the many layers of privilege I hold and held, my body was a fraught landscape with an emphasis on appearance and performance dominating my socialization. My family system was often chaotic and I learned how to disconnect from my feelings and needs in order to get through the day.
The combination of external cultural pressures and closer-in family dysfunction led to a decades-long struggle with living peacefully in my own skin.
I often say that it’s not a surprise I became a therapist because I needed therapy.
And yet, I also believe in vocational calling – that we all have a seed of purpose inside that nurtures our reason for being alive. My inner discomfort and strain pushed me to find my way onto a healing path. Some of the most transformational work I’ve done has been long-term psychotherapy, feminist psychoanalytic group therapy, community ritual, dance and movement practices, intentional psychedelic work, and a weekly women’s group with trusted friends. While each of these approaches offer their own healing balm, their commonality is that they each brought me closer to myself and other people. This is what I hope to offer in my therapy, writing, and teaching work – to help people get closer to themselves and, ultimately, the world.
Click on one of the links below to learn more about my therapy offerings:
My journey into motherhood was another dark night of the soul that revealed a new calling...
When I started longing for pregnancy and baby, I was longing for transformation, for a change I knew nothing else could do besides becoming a mother.
In 2019 I gave birth to my daughter. That year was a wild ride– I became pregnant, got married, finished my PhD coursework, moved homes, gave birth, and entered the pandemic in 2020 with the rest of the world with a 3 month old child. The descent into prolonged isolation as a new mother wrecked me. Moving through this dark, frightening territory of loneliness, responsibility, boredom, and love shaped my work yet again. Working with mothers and caregivers is a new calling and I am honored to accompany people through the disorienting terrain of postpartum life that can be beautiful and awe-inspiring and devastating.
My therapeutic approach is informed by feminist psychology and Health at Every Size (HAES).
Feminist psychology is a way of understanding and treating mental health that takes into account the ways in which society and culture affect our experiences and well-being, and helps us understand and challenge systems of inequality in order to have a better quality of life.
Through this perspective, I intend to co-create an inclusive and safe environment for people of all backgrounds, understanding that safety is not a given, it must be earned and created.
Health at Every Size (HAES) is a framework that promotes a weight-inclusive and anti-diet approach to health. Rather than focusing on weight loss as a primary goal, HAES encourages people to focus on health holistically, including physical, mental, and emotional health. It encourages people to adopt healthy habits and behaviors, such as pleasurable movement, balanced and intuitive eating, and respectful self-care, regardless of weight or body shape. HAES challenges the notion that weight is the sole indicator of health and instead, recognizes that weight is a complex and multi-faceted issue that is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, biology, and social and cultural factors.
TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
Pacifica Graduate Institute, PhD Depth Psychology (Jungian/Archetypal Studies)
Pacifica Graduate Institute, MA, Depth Psychology
Columbia University, MSSW Clinical Social Work; NYC
Northwestern University, BA Art History; Evanston, IL
Bridging Soma and Soul: Somatic Trauma Training. Boulder, CO.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Intensive Training and Internship; Columbia University, NYC
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Training; St. John’s University, NYC
Attachment, Regulation, and Competency (ARC) Training; Mt. Sinai Hospital Center, NYC
Gestalt Psychotherapy Training at Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy, NYC
Solution-focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Training, Boulder, CO
Four Winds Society, Light Body School for Energy Healing
Qoya Inspired Movement Teacher Training
“For over five months, I have had the privilege of having Kathryn Holt as a remote teacher, mentor, and guide. Her solid base of knowledge -- clearly a product of her Ivy League education at Columbia, innate intelligence, and years of client work elevates this program well beyond others I have tried.
The class and Kathryn's guidance has been transformational for me.
Her calm demeanor, ease of explaining even tough topics, and guidance through ‘experientials’ elevate the program to one of excellence.”
- Anita