Katie Farina

You might be feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of how to move forward — and you’re looking for someone who can really understand what you’re going through. I’m here to help you make sense of what’s happening and support you in creating meaningful, lasting change.

I’m a licensed social worker with over 9 years of clinical experience across multiple levels of care, including mobile crisis intervention, inpatient psychiatric treatment, and outpatient therapy. I’ve had the privilege of supporting children, teens, and adults navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, bipolar disorder, relationship issues, substance use, and major life transitions.

My approach is collaborative, strengths‐based, and trauma‐informed. I focus on creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can feel heard, understood, and empowered. Together, we’ll explore what’s getting in the way, build practical tools for daily life, and work toward the version of yourself you want to grow into.

Whether you’re dealing with long‐standing patterns or a recent shift in your life, you don’t have to navigate it alone. I look forward to partnering with you on your journey toward greater clarity, stability, and well‐being.

My therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, and deeply client-centered. I primarily draw from Motivational Interviewing principles, which means I view you as the expert on your own life. Together we identify your goals, values, and desired pace of change, and I support you in moving toward the future you want at a speed that feels right for you.

I integrate evidence-based techniques tailored to your specific needs and preferences. Depending on the situation, I frequently incorporate:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help identify and gently reframe unhelpful thought patterns

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for building effective coping strategies, particularly for managing intense emotions, panic attacks, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness

I strive to create a safe, nonjudgmental, and approachable space where you can feel truly heard and understood. While therapy can involve deep and meaningful work, I also believe humor—when used thoughtfully and appropriately—can lighten heavy moments, build connection, and remind us of our shared humanity.

Ultimately, my focus is on meeting you where you are, honoring your strengths, and partnering with you to cultivate greater self-understanding, resilience, and well-being.

In our first session, my main priority is to create a warm, welcoming, and completely safe space where you can feel comfortable being yourself. I want you to leave feeling heard, understood, and hopeful about the possibility of meaningful change.

Typically, the first session is focused on getting to know you and understanding what brings you to therapy at this time. We’ll spend time exploring:

• What challenges or concerns you’re currently facing

• What goals or changes you would like to work toward

• A bit about your current symptoms, life circumstances, family background, and what has been most important to you

I’ll ask thoughtful, open-ended questions, but there’s no pressure to share anything you’re not ready to discuss. This is your space, and we move at your pace.

From there, we’ll begin to collaboratively outline a plan for how we might work together. This might include identifying initial goals, discussing what feels most helpful to you in therapy, and agreeing on the next steps that make sense for your needs and preferences.

By the end of the first session, most clients feel a stronger sense of connection and clarity about what therapy with me could look like. My goal is for you to walk away knowing you’ve been met with genuine care, respect, and partnership as we begin this process together.