Katherine Castelo

Katherine Castelo, LCSW is a licensed therapist and certified clinical supervisor in Virginia, Texas, Florida, West Virginia, Indiana, Maryland, and Colorado. With over 25 years of experience, she specializes in trauma, military and veteran mental health, first-responder wellness, grief, deployment-related stress, and major life transitions.

A former Marine Corps veteran spouse, Katherine brings lived experience and deep cultural understanding to her work. She has served across the DoD, VA, nonprofit, and civilian sectors, providing high-level clinical care, consultation, and program leadership.

She previously oversaw a Defense Health Agency program for transitioning service members and served as the U.S. Army Reserve Psychological Health Program Director, leading outreach for more than 200,000 soldiers and families and advising on post-suicide psychological autopsies as part of the USAR Fatality Review Board.

Katherine also worked as a civilian Employee Assistance Program (EAP) manager for the U.S. Navy and as a casualty assistance consultant for NCIS, developing programs focused on readiness, crisis response, and deployment-cycle support.

As founder of Awaken Wellness Center, her practice centers on trauma recovery, crisis intervention, and integrative therapies. She is trained in Brainspotting, IFS-informed work, and trauma-responsive care, and has provided trainings for service members, clinicians, and community providers on PTSD, MST, suicide prevention, and Brainspotting.

Today, Katherine consults with the SAFE Project’s SAFE Veterans initiative and teaches caregiver wellness classes with Semper Fi & America’s Fund, bringing compassionate, evidence-based, culturally grounded care to military members, veterans, first responders, caregivers, and their families.

My approach to therapy is person-centered, collaborative, and deeply rooted in the belief that every individual has an innate capacity for healing. I focus on creating a safe, grounded, and compassionate space where clients can reconnect with their strengths, explore their experiences, and uncover the parts of themselves that are ready for change.

I integrate Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Brainspotting, two powerful, trauma-informed modalities that support profound self-discovery and nervous-system healing. Through IFS, we gently explore the “parts” of you that carry pain, protect you, or guide you, helping them feel seen, supported, and unburdened. Brainspotting allows us to access and release deep emotional and somatic patterns by working with the brain–body connection, helping the nervous system process what has been overwhelming or stuck.

Together, these approaches help clients move from survival patterns into resilience, clarity, and self-compassion. My role is to walk beside you—not to direct your path, but to help you discover the internal resources, wisdom, and healing potential that are already within you.

The goal of our work is empowerment, not dependence. I guide clients toward lasting growth by supporting their ability to understand themselves, heal at their own pace, and build a more grounded, peaceful, and authentic life.

In our first session, you can expect a calm, welcoming space where you can simply show up as you are. I’ll hold space for you to share what feels most important, at your pace and in your own words. We’ll explore your current concerns, what brought you to therapy, and what you hope to gain from our work together. I’ll help you feel grounded and supported while we begin identifying the patterns or experiences that need attention. Together, we’ll create a plan that feels collaborative, empowering, and aligned with your goals.