I enjoy taking a deep dive into the risky terrain

of exploring the impossible.

(Please Note:  I am now doing business under the name Kate Appleton. Formerly known as: Katharine Knapp).

I believe that there is an innate wisdom in the body and in the soul which has been lost in our current culture. There is an over focus on symptoms of “what is wrong” instead of asking “what happened to you” over your lifetime and over the generations. There is a current movement to reunite the split that occurred in the field of healing where the workings of the soul or the deeper layers of the body’s story was lost. As a result of minimizing the purpose of soul and the value of the body, we may find ourselves feeling fragmented and unsure about where to put our focus when it comes to healing. The truth is that our body and our soul, know exactly how to manage threat and keep us alive in a resilient way. When we understand that what once kept us functioning under difficult circumstances was intelligent but is now over-functioning and needs support to regulate in greater balance, then change is much easier. Integrative approaches support the soul’s journey, the body’s resiliency, and the minds unconscious patterns of defense. Healing must take into consideration all these factors so that we can come alive into the present with more capacity and agency to live an embodied conscious and empowered life.

My work is informed by somatic-based (body-based) approaches to healing that address the intersection of early developmental movement patterns, attachment, early reflexes, traumatology, energy work and archetypal exploration of the narrative. I integrate models such as Somatic Experiencing®, Embodied Recovery, Transforming Touch®, and Safe Sound Protocol, SoulCollage®, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and “DARe” (Dynamic Attachment Re-patterning experience). I value the inclusion of Embodied Presence, Karmic Astrology, inviting connections to our Soul, Compassionate Centering Prayer, and Spiritual Emergence.

I am particularly interested in the way chronic stress and adverse emotional and physical experiences are held in the body and influence our physical, emotional, spiritual health, and our capacity for connection. I am curious about how the stories we tell ourselves develop beliefs that inform the way we see the world. I enjoy taking a deep dive into the risky terrain of exploring the impossible.

Perhaps you find yourself struggling with anxiety & panic, OCD, depression, IBS, migraines, chronic fatigue, digestive disorders, ADHD, or insomnia, or find yourself in chronic dysfunctional relationships and need help navigating conflict. Perhaps you have worked through many of your stories and understand the core of your wounds but need support finding a new beginning and a stronger connection to your life purpose and to your Soul.

While some of my clients have been in traditional models of treatment for years without change and seek support for new directions in healing; many others have completed foundational work bringing them to a place of “readiness” for deeper exploration or investigative inquiry into “next steps”. Still others are seeking a deeper spiritual connection and a hope for relevancy.

What inspired me to pursue this profession?

I was a creative arts teacher for years, both in Waldorf schools and in public schools. After getting my Masters in Special Education and working in the field awhile, I found that I could not help the families by teaching alone. So, I went back to school and got another Masters, this time in Counseling.

Over the last several years I have focused on Somatic Experiencing, a trauma healing method, which originated with Dr. Peter Levine. This helped me to integrate the missing pieces that “talk therapy” and Creative Expressive Arts Therapies lacked. Somatic Experiencing has changed the way I work completely. This integrative approach to healing has had the largest impact on my career and life.

Dr. Peter Levine tells us, “No one can heal effectively and efficiently from emotional, physical or spiritual pain and suffering without involving the body.” He teaches that trauma is not in the event that took place, but in how a threat-response to that event, can become stored in the nervous system instead of released. The holding of this powerful energy, unexpressed, is what creates the symptoms associated with complex trauma or PTSD.

New studies show that adverse childhood experiences will predict serious life outcomes. This has created a passion in me to share how healing wants to happen and is always available to people no matter their age, no matter their history. Healing is indeed right on the edge of our comfort zone and wants to happen now.

Training & Additional Certifications

I have taught in a Waldorf school, and worked with a wide variety of ages. I have more than 40 years of experience serving a diverse population as a teacher, artist, business owner, author, counselor and storyteller utilizing my two Masters degrees, M.Ed. in Special Ed. and M.Ed in Counseling, in a creative “outside-the-box” way for solution-focused outcomes.

  • BFA, Art/Dance from Kent State University
  • M.Ed. Special Ed from Lynchburg College
  • M.Ed. Counseling from Lynchburg College
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (VA)

Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside, awakes.
— C. G. Jung