Dr. Kate Curtis, LCPC

My name is Kate and I guide and emotionally support my clients, primarily adult, on their life’s journey.  I will laugh with you, grieve with you and hold a safe space for you to process all life’s challenges, to be your best self, loving who you are currently and growing into the person you want to be. I feel it’s a privilege to hear your unique story and help you along this journey as we each experience highs and lows and need a safe space to process and grow.

My Education and Experience:

I received my bachelor's in liberal arts majoring in Psychology from Albion College in Albion, Michigan. I completed my master's and doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois. For the first half of my career, I worked with children, adolescents, and adults with severe mental illness and behavioral challenges. I started at Camelot Care Center, a child and adolescent residential treatment center/therapeutic day school for children and adolescents, formerly in Palatine, IL and then though various practicums and internship at St. Therese Hospital in Waukegan, IL, I gained additional experience across the continuum of care (inpatient, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient community mental health) with all ages (3-99 years old).  After that, I spent almost a decade working at Lake County Health Department’s Behavioral Health Adult Outpatient Program working with adults with a wide variety chronic mental health struggles and limited resources.

For the last decade at Samaritan Counseling Center, I have been able to focus in on my true passion of providing therapy for adults of all ages who are working through transitions, becoming better parents, processing and moving forward from traumas, living more fully with mood disorders, addressing health concerns, dealing with infertility, grieving losses, working on improving their relationships, seeking better boundaries, loving themselves more, and leaving toxic relationships that no longer serve them.

My approach is integrative, pulling from different theoretical perspectives: relational, trauma-informed, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness, dialectical behavioral interventions.

Moreover, I’ve completed specialty training in EMDR and the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) for additional tools for trauma processing. I’ve also completed training in the Gottman method for couples’ therapy.

How I Help My Clients:

I believe you need to be seen, heard, valued, and respected. I provide that for my clients, and I help them understand and assemble the pieces of life’s puzzle. Together we will discover where you can make changes to feel happier and more content with your life, your relationships, and yourself.

I believe we need to love ourselves right where we are, flaws and all, while striving to grow our skills to be our best selves: authentic, emotionally grounded, and interpersonally connected.

My Specialties and Passions:

  •  Wellness/Health: Mind-body connection, integrative health, using nutrition, exercise and healthy lifestyle to help balance within and outside the body.

  • Medical Issues: Many of my clients have medical conditions impacting their mental health, including thyroid disorders, autoimmune disorder, MS, etc. 

  • Women’s Health: It is meaningful as a woman to offer support for women’s health issues. As women, we have unique challenges due to our physiology, such as stress hormonal changes, fertility struggles, infertility, IVF/surrogacy, and the Perimenopause/Menopause transition. 

  • Interpersonal Relationships: I enjoy helping people connect more deeply with others. I commonly help people with things like learning more effective ways to communicate, boundary setting, and developing links between current relationship stress and attachment experiences in childhood.

  • Trauma Recovery: Many of my clients have experienced emotional, sexual, and physical abuse both in childhood and as adults. I also help people recover from traumatic events such as birth trauma, accidents, and natural disasters. 

More About Me:

I grew up in Buffalo Grove and now live in Crystal Lake with my husband and adolescent son. I like reading, watching movies, exercising, traveling, eating good food from various cultural influences, and spending time with my family and friends. My favorite recharge is binge watching a good drama series that makes me both laugh and cry while enjoying the view and crackle of our wood-burning fire.

Kate Curtis currently sees clients via teletherapy. She has limited openings at this time. If you are interested in seeing Kate, feel free to contact her directly through our website or by phone (847)754-3838 ext. 2.