Meet Kate

Ginny Filer Photographer

I’ve seen women show up to therapy hollowed out by grief and haunted by trauma. They’re not trying to hide it. They’re just trying to get through the next minute, the next hour, the next day. But behind their words is a deep fear: What if this never gets better? What if I can’t live with this pain?

I know trauma intimately. I’ve lived through it myself, and I know what it’s like when your mind won’t stop spinning, your body won’t settle, and the world suddenly feels unsafe. Through my own healing and clinical work, I’ve seen how powerful EMDR therapy can be in helping people find relief from what once felt unbearable.

EMDR isn’t about erasing the memories or forgetting what happened. It’s about helping your brain process what it went through so you don’t have to keep reliving it. It’s about making space for moments of calm, even in the middle of the pain. It’s about finding a way to breathe again—without guilt, without fear, without the trauma calling the shots.

I’m a therapist based in Northern Virginia, and when I’m not working with clients, I’m juggling hobbies and passions that bring joy and balance to my life. I’ll admit it: I have a green thumb that’s a little less green as I attempt to keep all 150 of my houseplants alive (okay, maybe I’m exaggerating—but I definitely have more plants than I probably should). This year, I’m ambitiously trying to read 50 books, though I’ve only managed two so far—wish me luck! As a self-proclaimed night owl who can’t fall asleep before midnight, I’m also a big fan of naps to make up for my late nights.

I specialize in helping women whose lives have been turned upside down by sudden, devastating loss. Many of the women I work with have just lost a spouse or a child—unexpectedly, without warning—and now they’re living in the aftermath. There are no words for what they’ve been through. And even when they’re surrounded by support, nothing touches the internal chaos they’re carrying.

They replay the moment they found out over and over in their heads. The phone call. The hospital room. The final words. The helplessness. The stillness.
They can’t sleep.
They feel numb.
They can’t stop imagining how it could’ve gone differently.
And they feel like the worst day of their life keeps happening—again and again—no matter how much time has passed.

Who I Work With

In my practice, I work with women who are grieving someone they loved more than words can explain—and who now feel stuck in the trauma of how it all happened. Whether it’s flashbacks, nightmares, guilt, dread, or just that lingering sense of not being okay, EMDR therapy can help you begin to feel some peace again, without letting go of the love you carry.

Some of the symptoms we will work through together include:

• Intrusive images or flashbacks that feel just as real now as the day it happened

• A deep sense of guilt or responsibility, even when you know you couldn’t have stopped it

• Avoiding reminders of the event—certain roads, rooms, dates, or routines

• Feeling emotionally shut down or totally overwhelmed

• Restlessness, insomnia, or constant fear that something else might happen

• A feeling that your nervous system is stuck in “high alert”—and won’t turn off

I also support women first responders and those grieving recent losses that have left them disoriented, overwhelmed, or traumatized by what they’ve witnessed or endured.

If you’re in Reston, VA or the greater DMV area and are trying to navigate the trauma of losing someone you love, I want you to know this: you don’t have to stay stuck in this. The trauma can soften. The flashbacks can slow down. You can feel safe in your body again.

I offer EMDR therapy to help you begin that process—at your pace, on your terms.
If you’re ready to take the first step, I’m here to walk with you.