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Hi, I’m Katie McGrory Brown, and I am here to help you!
As a child, I grew up in a divorced home with an absent father in the Army. My mother struggled with depression, and as the youngest of three daughters, I felt invisible. I began to experience anxiety and low self-esteem, which was made worse by my Catholic school’s focus on instilling fear and guilt.
Then, as a teenager, I was sexually assaulted by someone I had thought was a friend. I didn’t have a strong support system to lean on during this time and, unfortunately, I did not receive any counseling for this or my previous issues.
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These little and big traumas led me to an emotionally abusive relationship where I was bullied into getting married at 18 while
still in high school and having a child at almost 20. But I divorced my husband at 22, began college at 25 while raising my 5-year-old son, Logan, and working full time.
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When I realized that I had not dealt with my past and had only survived it, I decided to begin counseling. Now, after years of working with two wonderful therapists, two amazing transformation coaches, and doing a lot of hard work, I have healed! I have been in a healthy, romantic relationship with my wife for over 21 years, and soon, we will be celebrating 10 years of marriage!
My Professional Credentials
Because of the struggles I faced, I knew I wanted to help others heal with counseling, so I earned my master’s degree in clinical psychology in 2006. I have been counseling for 18 years and have been in private practice for 15 years.
For most of my career, I counseled children with severe behavioral issues and realized their parent’s unresolved trauma and stress impacted them significantly. I began counseling teens, parents, and adults and providing parent coaching and transformation coaching for women.
This journey has led me back to my true passion of helping girls and women feel empowered to be their own shero. I created H.E.R. Sanctuary to be a safe place where abuse and trauma are treated with my program, Safety-Focused Trauma Therapy. Future abuse is prevented by providing girls and women the tools needed to build healthy emotional relationships with themselves, their bodies, and others.
My Certifications:
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Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
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Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor (CPCS) in Georgia.
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Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S).
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Trained in Level One Theraplay
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Trained in Level One EAGALA
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EAGALA Mental Health Specialist Certification
