Kati Newsome (she/her), MSW, LCSWA, MT-BC

Outpatient Psychotherapist in Chapel Hill

Works with ages 20+

My name is Kati (she/her) and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate (LCSWA-P016486), a Board-Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC-12372) and an Outpatient Psychotherapist at Three Oaks Behavioral Health & Wellness in Chapel Hill. I have personal experience being in the client seat in therapy, so I understand how hard it can be to reach out and share your story with someone new. My number one priority is to create a safe and supportive space for you to express yourself fully: no judgement, no shame, every piece of you is worthy, and all parts of you are welcome here. I’m honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with you on reaching your goals- whatever those may be.

I completed my Bachelor of Music Therapy degree at Appalachian State University and my Master of Social Work degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I have 5+ years of experience working in residential, inpatient, medical, and community mental health settings with a diverse array of adolescents and adults, groups, and families.

I specialize in working with adults and adolescents struggling with anxiety, trauma, childhood emotional neglect, shame, ADHD, relationship distress, and codependency.

I am a strengths-based somatic trauma-informed therapist. This means I don’t see mental health symptoms as flaws in your brain, but rather as wickedly genius adaptations to your lived experience. I believe that as human beings, we’re all born with an innate capacity for confidence, calmness, creativity, clarity, curiosity, courage, compassion, and connectedness that never leaves us. When we go through life, we have experiences that shape our nervous system to respond appropriately to the current environment. Sometimes the environment we’re adapting to is healthy and supportive, and we grow like a houseplant in the perfect soil with the perfect light. We’re able to connect with others and ourselves safely, have access to balance, and make choices easily. Other times, the environment we’re adapting to is a bit harsher, and we’re forced to grow in a way that wouldn’t make sense in any other situation, much like a weed making its way through broken concrete. We may adopt beliefs such as: seeking connection leads to pain, specific behaviors or actions will result in rejection or exclusion, or trusting others with our most vulnerable pieces leads to disappointment. We intuitively and subconsciously learn to fit within the box our situation affords us to maintain safety. Over time, we develop habitual patterns of response, which sometimes combine to create conditions for: anxiety, depression, addictions, eating disorders, perfectionism, codependency, people pleasing, etc.

In our work together, you and I will collaborate by: integrating the body and mind; inviting, witnessing, and exploring your felt sense; bringing the stories you live by to conscious awareness; identifying and bringing awareness to repeated patterns of travel for your nervous system; unburdening the parts of you that carry outdated beliefs; and building new strategies to support your current reality.

My style is integrative and I filter the techniques I select to use based on individual client needs in the moment. I am trained in Polyvagal-Informed Psychotherapy, Constructed Awareness, the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model for Trauma and Addiction, and am Internal Family Systems informed. I am committed to Anti-Racist practice, LGBTQIA+ affirming, Neurodivergent affirming, Health At Every Size informed, and welcoming to clients of all cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds. I have completed additional training in treating Religious Trauma/Spiritual Abuse. Depending on client needs, I may also bring Music Therapy techniques to the work we do. I am also open to incorporating Enneagram, astrology, or any other system you use to make meaning of the world into our work.

I believe client-provider fit is crucial! If you’ve read my bio and feel energized, hopeful, or seen, there’s a good chance we’d work well together. If we don’t click, I’m happy to help you find your best fit therapist.

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email | knewsome@threeoaksbehavioralhealth.com