Katharyn (Kate) Engers, MA, LMFT

Hello!

My name is Kate (she/her) and I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LF61194481) in the state of Washington.

I am passionate about empowering individuals who have, at one time or another, felt stripped of their power and are ready to reclaim it.

My ideal client is someone who is ready to face the painful experiences of their past and begin to dissect the ways in which their current thoughts and behaviors are influenced by the explicit and implicit messages they have received throughout life. I work with clients aged 18+.

Education:

Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University, Santa Barbara

Background and Experience:

I have been practicing since 2016 with experience in the following workplace settings:

  • a non-profit agency centered on helping victims of intimate partner violence and sexual assault;

  • in intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs working with folks of varying diagnoses and severity of symptoms, and;

  • community mental health agencies where I worked with folks of all different backgrounds and mental health challenges

Currently, I own my own private practice. I also contract with The Veterans Room, which collaborates with the VA and TriWest to serve military veterans who might otherwise face long wait lists for mental health services.

I know one of the challenges we face when looking for a therapist that will fit our needs is wondering what their personality is really like. Will I be judged? Will I scare them off with my trauma story? Will they be all, “Mmmhmmm, I see, and how does that make you feel?”

Working with me, the answers to those questions will be “Absolutely not,” “Not likely,” and “I actively try to avoid this stereotype!”

When I am the client seeking therapy, I need someone who I can tell is being genuine with me, and who feels relatable. Many times a client can feel like the therapist must have their whole life together, and be a perfect parent, and only have healthy communication with every single person they know.

HA! Yeah, no. Firstly, “perfect” is a myth. I’m not a perfect anything: wife, mother, or otherwise!

Secondly, if I’m being honest, I probably succeed about 50% of the time in utilizing the appropriate coping or communication skills that I know would be helpful. I believe self improvement happens when we take small steps to be a little better each day. You’re a human and so am I; if we’re working together you will see me make mistakes (and own them). You’ll also be met with genuine compassion, understanding, and a lack of judgment regardless of what you share.

Whether I’m engaging with a client or someone I know in my personal life, I make sure to allow my personality to shine through. I have a fairly dry and sarcastic sense of humor, and I believe laughter really can be part of the treatment plan. You’ll find that I can sometimes be blunt, but never cruel. Here’s my stance: therapy is really hard work, and it’s important to have connection, moments of levity, and most of all, truth throughout. Whether you work with me or someone else, please make sure you find a therapist who ticks off the right boxes to fit your needs, because it can make all the difference.