Catherine is a Counselor Education Master’s Student at UT Austin and a new Graduate Associate at Vida Clinic! She was originally inspired to this line of work through an introduction to the neurobiology of behavior and dysfunction (e.g., “mental illness”) during her undergraduate studies in neuroscience at UT Austin. This view of human functioning and psychopathology was predominantly informed by the medical model, which Catherine realized was less aligned with her interests after investigating the larger and often more important role of social and environmental factors on the development and trajectory of mental health. Catherine presumes to address underlying and intersectional biopsychological and sociocultural factors as they are applicable to a client’s personal growth and development of awareness, authenticity, autonomy, and self-acceptance. Based on the context of each client’s goals, she aims to provide an integrative approach using numerous frameworks (e.g., Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Restoration Therapy, Psychodynamic Theory, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness-based Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, etc.) that create a holistic model for understanding every individual person, and ultimately helping them move towards increased health in all capacities. She is dedicated to cultivating a multicultural, antiracist, and systemic lens through which to view the world and its many inequities and hopes to serve as not only a helper and healer, but also a collaborator and social justice advocate for each of her clients to actualize their goals. Outside of her counselor-in-training role, Catherine is a proud cat-mom of two, and has recently jumped on the bandwagon of the ever-expanding pandemic plant-hobbyist population… Her happy place is in bed with a good book.