Kate Leak LCSW

I am an approved consultant with the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) and I have been practicing EMDR since 2018. I use it in my daily practice both in person and by telehealth.

Distorted thought processes inform our feelings and actions every day. I teach clients skills to stop unhelpful trains of thought, and then challenge and reframe those thoughts so they can be more supportive and helpful.

I support clients in learning more about their style of attachment and how that impacts relationships. I connect this with the reprocessing portion of EMDR, helping clients to understand the origins of that attachment pattern through either preverbal work or identifying the originating memories and then reprocessing.

As a parent myself, I understand how difficult and wonderful pregnancy and postpartum can be. Lives go through transformation in a very short amount of time, sometimes what feels like overnight. Bringing a new human into your life can bring up many things, including unresolved issues from your past that are exacerbated by extreme hormonal swings and complete lack of sleep. Becoming a parent is no easy feat, but perinatal trauma and PMADs can be worked through. You can feel okay again.

We all have attachment relationships with the people we are born to, even though we had no choice in the matter. The style of attachment that is created with caregivers impacts the ways in which we interact and relate to others in adulthood. Are there patterns or behaviors that were self-protective and helpful when you were a child that no longer serve you, but continue to show up? Unhelpful attachment patterns can be identified and worked through in a way that supports your adult growth.

EMDR is a model that was designed to treat trauma and the accompanying disorders of PTSD, anxiety and depression. I have been doing trauma work for a decade and it is challenging and gratifying work. Shame is often what prevents people from reaching out after traumatic events have occurred, and what creates negative shifts in your core sense of self. Working through trauma in a safe and supportive space takes the power out of that shame.