Kathryn Tinich, MA, LPCC

People find their way to counseling for a lot of different reasons. For some folks, a recent event may have changed the way life was going, and some support in navigating a new normal can help. For some, counseling can be a place to explore a specific area or goal in a life that overall feels like it’s working just fine. For others, life may have felt unmanageable, disconnected, or out of control for a long time. Therapy can be a place to witness and hold and heal pain from the past and present, a place to start to imagine and create a different kind of future. And sometimes, it can be a mix of these. It’s a vulnerable and brave thing to want something different, and to reach out for help.

I see people ages 3 and up for counseling. For adolescents and adults, therapy can look a number of different ways depending on a person’s needs. It can look like sitting and talking. It can look like learning and practicing emotional, relational, or mindfulness skills. It can look like resourcing, exploring, or expression through movement or other art forms. It can look other ways too. And often it can involve a mix of things. This is something that we get to create together. In working with children, counseling with me is a process that unfolds largely through play, with support and coaching for caregivers as well.

In terms of education and training, I have a Master’s Degree in Somatic Counseling from Naropa University, and have completed addictions counselor coursework with Noeticus Counseling Center and Training Institute. I have attended trainings through the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors on grief in children. I am currently in the middle of a 6-month training in Synergetic Play Therapy ™ offered through the Synergetic Play Therapy Institute. I am an ongoing student of the Discipline of Authentic Movement. I have a Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois.

Prior to becoming a counselor, I worked extensively with children and adults who survived violent crime. I also had the opportunity to be involved with people whose mental health and addiction challenges led to contact with the criminal justice system. As a counselor, I have worked with a range of people, including those experiencing relationship and life transitions, the effects of trauma, justice involved individuals, and those experiencing mental health emergencies.