Kate Stake, LMHC-A, NCC

Education

School:

Valparaiso University

Eastern Illinois University

Illinois State University

Degrees:

Masters Degree, Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Masters Degree, Sports Administration

Bachelors, English Education

Kate works with people who feel out of alignment or unsettled in ways that are hard to name. Often, what brings clients to therapy isn’t a single problem so much as a sense that something isn’t quite fitting anymore: internally, relationally, or in how they’re moving through the world.

Her work is informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and centers on careful attention and honest reflection. Kate has a high tolerance for complexity and does not rush the work toward solutions. She is reflective by default, but not passive; she names patterns, offers thoughtful challenges, and helps clients relate differently to difficult thoughts and emotions.

Kate has particular experience working with teens, men, and autistic individuals. She is attentive to differences in communication, processing, and emotional expression, and she does not assume that growth requires becoming someone else. She also works with adults navigating anxiety, burnout, identity shifts, and long-standing patterns that no longer feel workable.

Kate believes change happens through noticing what’s been avoided and staying present with what’s uncomfortable, rather than trying to push through or fix what hurts. For her, courage in therapy looks like taking responsibility for what’s true and deciding how to move forward from there.

Issues Treated

Specialties

Anxiety
Self-Esteem
Life Transitions

Session Types

Telehealth
Individual Therapy

Age Specialties

Elders (65+)
Adults
Adolescents / Teenagers (14 to 19)
Preteens / Tweens (11 to 13)

Types of Therapy

Individuals
Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)
Coaching
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Existential
Humanistic
Narrative
Person-Centered
Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)