Katie Petersen, MA, LPC

A relational, somatic, and attachment-focused approach to healing, self-discovery, and lasting change.

Who This Work Is Best Suited For

• You understand your patterns, but still feel stuck.
• You find yourself caught in the same emotional or relationship dynamics, despite your best efforts to change them.
• You tend to hold it all together on the outside while feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or exhausted underneath.
• You’ve spent years taking care of others and have lost touch with yourself somewhere along the way.
• You’ve done therapy before and gained insight, but something still feels unresolved.
• You’re looking for more than coping skills or intellectual understanding. You want change that feels real.
  
  

Hi, I’m Katie Petersen.

Maybe you’ve become very good at holding it all together.

You show up. You handle responsibilities. You keep going.

But underneath, you feel anxious, disconnected, overwhelmed, stuck in familiar patterns, or uncertain about who you are beneath everything you’ve been carrying.

Many of the people I work with are thoughtful, insightful, and deeply self-aware. They often know exactly why they do what they do, yet still find themselves caught in the same emotional or relational loops.

Insight matters. But insight alone doesn’t always create change.

My work goes beyond simply talking about problems. Together, we explore what’s happening in real time- emotionally, relationally, and in your body- so that change becomes something you experience, not just something you understand.

How I Approach Therapy

What matters most in my work is not just what we talk about, but what happens while we’re talking.

Rather than immediately analyzing, fixing, or solving what’s happening, we often slow down enough to notice it together.

The thoughts.

The emotions.

The reactions in your body.

The patterns that emerge between us.

This creates opportunities for new experiences, not just new explanations.

Many of my clients come to therapy already understanding their history and patterns. What we focus on is what happens underneath that understanding: in the nervous system, in relationships, and in the parts of ourselves that don’t always respond to logic alone.

This is often where meaningful change begins.

My approach blends somatic therapy, attachment work, parts work, and trauma-informed care. I bring warmth, curiosity, honesty, and a deep respect for your pace. At times, I’ll gently challenge you. At others, I’ll simply sit with you in places that may have felt difficult to navigate alone. I’ll make room for the hard stuff, but we’ll probably laugh, too.

I don’t see people as broken. Most of the patterns we struggle with once made perfect sense.

Together, we work toward understanding those patterns with compassion while creating space for something new.

I don’t believe healing happens because someone gives you the right advice.

I believe healing happens through awareness, connection, and the courage to stay present with experiences that have long needed your attention.

A Bit More About Me

Clients often describe me as grounded, genuine, and easy to talk to. My style is conversational, relational, and engaged. I bring both depth and humor into the room because healing often requires space for both.

Outside of therapy, I’m a mom to two young men who continually remind me how much learning, unlearning, and grace this life requires.

You’ll often find me on my yoga mat, in the great outdoors, listening to live music, and being with the people I love.

If you’re looking for a space where you can show up exactly as you are- messy, thoughtful, anxious, hopeful, uncertain, or all of the above- you are welcome here.

I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

Working With Katie

My work is especially helpful for people who feel stuck despite insight, find themselves repeating familiar relationship patterns, struggle with anxiety or overwhelm, or feel disconnected from themselves beneath the demands of everyday life.

Together, we explore not only what is happening, but how it is being experienced emotionally, relationally, and within the nervous system.

Common reasons people reach out include:

• Relationship Patterns & Attachment Wounds

• Anxiety, Overwhelm & Self-Criticism

• Feeling Stuck Despite Insight

• Life Transitions & Identity Shifts

• Disconnection From Self

• Therapy for Therapists, Helpers & Caregivers

• Trauma Recovery & Nervous System Healing

• Parts Work & Internal Systems Exploration

When appropriate, I may also incorporate complementary practices such as Reiki and other energy-based approaches to support regulation, connection, and healing.

License & Certifications:

• Licensed Professional Counselor, AZBBHE #LPC-22716
• Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders & Spanish | University of Redlands
• Master’s degree in Counseling | Phoenix Seminary
• Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (CCST-I) | Arizona Trauma Institute
• PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy) | Level 1
• ATSIP (Assessment & Treatment of Sex Issues in Psychotherapy) | Levels 1 & 2
• Couple’s Institute | Developmental Model Level 1
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute | Trauma Level 1
• Reiki Master Level 2

Katie’s Specialties:

• Relational Trauma & Attachment Wounding
• Anxiety & Emotional Overwhelm
• Couples Therapy: Rupture & Repair
• Identity Exploration & Life Transitions
• Therapy for Therapists & Helpers
• Nervous System Regulation & Emotional Resilience
• Parts Work / Internal Systems Exploration

Working With Katie

Katie works with individuals and couples who are ready to explore deeper patterns, reconnect with themselves, and move toward more authentic relationships.

If you’re interested in working with Katie, we invite you to reach out to learn more about availability and next steps.