Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Whitten.
Catherine, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always had an interest in the helping professions and psychology. When I was in undergrad at Texas A&M, I earned a minor in Neuroscience and was fascinated by the concept of Neuroplasticity– that is, the brains ability to adapt, learn, and change by way of rewiring neural connections. I struggled with my own mental health and have been in and out of therapy since I was 15. Through my own struggles, I have learned a lot about myself and have found true healing. I struggled with tumultuous relationships, engaging unhealthy and quite toxic behaviors as a means of trying to get unmet needs met, and acting impulsively and recklessly. I was searching in all the wrong places, with all the wrong methods. This was causing me to be extremely reactive and anxious and I felt miserable and lonely. With the help of therapy and being truly seen, genuine connection to healthy figures, and the never ending intentional rewiring of the workings of my brain, I was able to quite literally change my life. I found everything I was searching for within myself. This transformation didn’t happen overnight and was at its peak as I studied Mental Health Counseling in my graduate career. During this time, I found evidence based practices to implement in my own life such as DBT and with others through my classes and personal therapy. I also spent a lot of time in hot yoga classes, connecting my breath to movement and learning the duality of strength. It wouldn’t be realistic to say I no longer struggle with my mental health, but I do have a lot of tools and methods for finding regulation and coping with intense emotions or hard situations. I use the very skills I teach to others daily. Seeing my own transformations, valuing authentic and deep connections with others, striving for a career with a purpose and ability to help others all lead me to the field of counseling. I have felt the personal change and benefits that therapy provides and at this point in my career, I have now also seen the effect counseling has on others. I have worked with populations ranging from children to elderly and have worked with those struggling with severe mental illness, trauma, suicidal thoughts, and self harm. I regularly utilize and am trained in DBT and EMDR with a focus in relational therapy, creating an environment that is backed by science and relies on the relationship I have with my clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a rollercoaster. Navigating motherhood in my personal life and growing/running my private practice has had its challenges. The road to becoming a counselor is also pretty lengthly. I went to school for undergrad for 4.5 years, graduate school for 3 years, then spent the past 3 years gaining my hours as a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate seeing clients under supervision and have just applied to upgrade my licensed to full licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Texas. During this time, I reached personal milestones like getting married and having my first baby. We are also expecting my second in about a month. I have had to figure out how to create work-life balance and I am honestly grateful and proud of what I have created.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in working with women and teens creating authentic relationships through talk therapy. I specialize, am trained, and am passionate about DBT and EMDR. I really value the vulnerability it takes to show up for yourself in sessions and work through terrible things that have happened or feelings and patterns that have people feeling stuck. I’m most known for my work with clients struggling with trauma, suicidal ideation, and self harm. I show up authentically to session and if we aren’t working through the EMDR protocol, sessions can feel very easy going and conversational. I’m most proud of the relationship I have with my clients, most of whom I have been seeing since I started out in the field. I think what sets me apart from others is my authenticity and realness with my clients. I aim to contribute to your processing and provide a space for you to feel cared for while providing you context and explanation, tools, and resources along the way to produce natural healing within your lived life and nervous system.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’d say I’m a moderate risk-taker. I’d like to say my biggest risk was on starting my private practice. I started Blooming Minds Austin mostly out of need to make more money than I was able to working for a group practice. It was a big risk to run a business, something I had zero knowledge in. It still is a big risk, however being more established in Austin makes it a little bit more manageable. I believe risk is necessary, there is going to come a time when most people have to make a decision and take a risk on themselves to do and create the life they are searching for. Risk is something that seems to be necessary to propel us forward.
Pricing:
- Individual 50-minute sessions: $160
- Parent 50-minute sessions: $180
- Family 50-minute sessions: $195
- Sliding Scale spots available
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bloomingmindsaustin.com
- Instagram: @bloomingmindsatxpsychotherapy
