We recently connected with Katherine Wald and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Katherine, thanks for joining us today. Can you share an anecdote or story from your schooling/training that you feel illustrates what the overall experience was like?
I attended the University of Pennsylvania for graduate school and was able to experience a wide range of training with a variety of populations. My first-year internship was in a North Philadelphia school that catered to children in the foster care system. I worked with kids who suffered from severe abuse, neglect, and exposure to traumatic events. I learned how to conduct group and individual counseling and saw the benefits of how therapy can make a huge difference in the lives of others. Through this experience, I fell in love with treating trauma survivors. I witnessed children who started off the year non-verbal and completely shut down and ended the year making silly jokes and doing cartwheels. I saw the resilience of the human spirit and how getting the proper access to mental health care and exploration of emotions can bring about enormous personal growth and change.
My second-year internship was at Hall Mercer, a renowned Community Mental Health Center affiliated with the Pennsylvania Hospital and Penn Medicine, where I worked with various mental health issues. It was a unique learning experience as I was being recorded and observed through a two-way mirror and given valuable and immediate feedback about each session. During this internship, I was trained in art and play therapy and expanded my knowledge base beyond that of traditional talk therapy.
Next, I worked in a dual diagnosis facility in Kensington, Philadelphia, where I counseled adolescents and adults suffering from both mental illness and drug and alcohol abuse or dependency. This population was challenging to work with, but I found it to be beneficial training that has served me well throughout my career.
After completing my graduate work in Philadelphia, I moved back to Miami and worked at the non-profit Children’s Psychiatric Center (now called The Institute for Child and Family Health). I subsequently ran the counseling department at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus for several years while working on my hours for licensure. Once I became licensed, I transitioned to private practice, where I continue to help make a difference in the lives of others. My experience of working with a very diverse population from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds has greatly helped me connect with people on a deeper level and has made me a better therapist.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a licensed psychotherapist, certified Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist, and clinical supervisor in private practice in Miami, Florida. For almost 20 years, I have provided general psychotherapy and specialized therapies in various areas, including Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), dissociative disorders, depression, anxiety, and chronic illnesses.
I decided to become a therapist because I wanted to help others the way that I have been helped. At an early age, I was diagnosed with severe combined type Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and multiple learning differences, including dyslexia. As a result of these difficulties, I struggled a lot growing up. Fortunately, I received help from an academic coach who taught me how to compensate for my areas of difficulty. Equipped with my own unique way of learning, I was able to graduate magna cum laude from Georgetown University for my undergraduate degree and with honors from the University of Pennsylvania for graduate school.
My personal struggles and subsequent development of resiliency have enabled me to connect more profoundly and empathically with my clients. I try to empower my clients so they can find and utilize their internal strengths to manage their emotions effectively. I have a genuine desire to help others to heal, grow, and maximize their potential and I think my clients can sense my authenticity. Certainly, what I am most proud of professionally are the successes, large and small, that many of my clients have experienced over the years. Wanting to help others succeed initially drew me into my profession and seeing my clients continue to overcome their struggles reinforces that I chose correctly.
After establishing a successful practice, I actively pursued outside interests, including helping those who might not have access to proper psychological interventions. In 2010, I co-founded and became director of the non-profit organization Inspire Transformation (IT). We identify and train local leaders on how to provide basic counseling to gender-based violence survivors in remote areas of northern Namibia and the Nkomazi region of South Africa. Through our community-based programs, we can bring about sustainable, positive social change.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
As a young therapist starting in private practice, I wanted to establish a reputation as an Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) expert. Having struggled with ADHD and dyslexia, I wanted to help counsel and advocate for those with ADHD and other learning differences. I started networking with treatment centers and offered free ADHD workshops to parents. Over time, and mainly through word of mouth from the clients I worked with, I built a reputation as an expert in counseling individuals dealing with ADHD. I also began collaborating with the psychiatrists my clients used for their medication management. After doctors began to know and trust me, they also started to send me referrals. As my practice expanded, I grew my areas of specialization and training. I became certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), completed over 200 hours of psychodrama and experiential therapy training, and received training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Dialectal Behavioral Therapy, and Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction.
Over time, having established my professional reputation in the community, I maintained a busy practice through referrals from other professionals and existing clients.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
For over 15 years, I practiced as a psychotherapist in a private group practice. When COVID-19 struck the United States, conducting in-person therapy was no longer possible, which led me to transition to telehealth to continue supporting my clients. I researched and found a secure, fully encrypted, HIPAA-compliant platform to conduct video therapy sessions and began seeing clients virtually. Like all new undertakings, it took some time and effort to become acquainted with telehealth, but the benefits of this new way of online therapy quickly became apparent. My clients were overwhelmingly pleased with online therapy as it is extremely convenient for people with busy schedules, those with small children, and individuals with demanding work commitments. It eliminates the need to travel, take time off from work or interfere with children’s activities. Also, for those with health issues or health concerns in the age of COVID-19, telehealth is a safe and effective way to receive therapy.
Pivoting to telehealth has been a win-win situation for my clients and me, as it has added some benefits to my well-being as well. Around the time that I transitioned to telehealth, I experienced some personal health issues. As a result, I needed to go on immunosuppressive medication, which made being around many people in an office setting and in-person therapy potentially risky for my health. As much as I loved working in my group practice, transitioning to telehealth has provided me with the additional health benefits of keeping me safer while on immunosuppressive medication. It has also allowed me to build small breaks into my schedule that allow me to maintain my energy levels and mental resources to provide the highest level of care to my clients.
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