Katie Deans
Hello there! I'm Katie, and I am passionate about seeing the restoration of hope, connection, and purpose in the lives of the youth and adults. I am honored to be invited into the stories and journeys of my clients - stories that are often filled with setbacks and heartbreak yet also hope and connection. Because we are hurt in relationships, I believe that relationships are also where we must go to find healing. As a counselor, I do my best to create a safe, healing relationship for each child, teen, and adult I see while also encouraging and empowering them to safely seek healing relationship in others, whether that be with a spouse, parent/caregiver, friend, or God. I have specific interest and training in working with foster and adoptive families and the precious children in their care.My ExperienceI've been providing counseling services in the greater Athens area since 2017 and have served the community through counseling in school, non-profit, and private practice settings. I've successfully worked with children and teens and their caregivers as well as young adults by providing individual, group, and family counseling. I have treated a variety of mental, behavioral, and emotional issues, including depression, anxiety, ADHD, grief and loss, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress, complex developmental trauma, life transitions, school difficulties, adoption concerns, and more. I feel I am at my best when working with children, teens, and their families. I also have much experience providing counseling from a Christian faith-based perspective and am willing to use this framework when requested, however, I will never push these or any values on any of my clients.My Education and TrainingI am a Licensed Professional Counselor, and my education includes a master’s degree in School Counseling from Liberty University and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Georgia. My school counseling degree has prepared me to work both in school and private practice settings and has given me a unique perspective on the issues that school-age children and adolescents face. I typically draw from therapeutic approaches including family systems, cognitive behavioral, and expressive therapies (play, art, sand tray). I have been trained as a a Trust Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) Practitioner through the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University. TBRI® is an attachment-based, trauma informed-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. I am also currently part of a training cohort for Child-Parent Psychotherapy, which is a dyadic model that serves children ages 0-6 and their caregivers, and will be opening up sessions for this demographic.What To Expect From MeI always take a collaborative approach in working with my clients and fully believe that you are the expert on you and/or your child. I begin the therapeutic process by seeking to best understand the concerns you have and work together to identify what goals you have for seeking counseling. Our first session, will involve me asking questions so that I can get to know you and/or your child's story as well as us working together to create goals for your time in counseling. From there, we develop a treatment plan to meet your needs and begin our work together. If the counseling is for a child or adolescent under 18, I require parent/guardian involvement in counseling. I believe that a child's caregiver is an irreplaceable part of his or her healing process! I’m not going to pretend that therapy is always easy - but I will tell you that if you are open and willing to put in the work, it’s worth it. We have to face the hard stuff, the stuff we’ve been avoiding, in order for growth and healing to happen, and I’m committed to walking through this process with you with compassion and understanding. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment, feel free to contact me. We can always chat to see if I am a good fit for the particular issue you are facing, and if I’m not, I’m happy to help you find someone who is.
