Meet Kate
Relational Guide. Wisdom Keeper.
Consultant to Families Across Generations.
Kate Appleton offers a rare kind of support, one that blends therapeutic insight, somatic healing, and decades of lived experience. Her work is designed for individuals, families, and practitioners who are ready to move beyond surface-level change and into meaningful transformation. Whether you’re navigating grief, family rupture, generational transition, or a personal crossroads, Kate brings grounded presence, deep listening, and strategic clarity to help you reconnect with what matters most. Through integrative consulting, immersive retreats, and global mentorship, she helps clients restore emotional balance, repair relationships, and reclaim their place in the greater story of their lives.
“Starting in the world of traditional counseling taught me to honor each person’s story. But it also revealed what was missing, how much wisdom lives in the body, and how essential it is to go beyond words. That’s what called me to expand, to integrate, and to offer something more whole.”
— Kate
in the beginning
My journey began as a creative
arts teacher, followed by becoming
a traditional counselor…
Kate’s journey began as a creative arts teacher, then she became a traditional counselor, offering steady and compassionate support to individuals and families navigating some of life’s hardest seasons, across multicultural populations, generations, and income levels. True to her early roots, she always used creative methods to help her clients. Her early work as a creative arts teacher, special education teacher, and then counselor gave her a close view into the depth of human struggle and resilience.
Over time, she saw that talk therapy alone wasn’t always enough. Real healing needed embodiment, safety, and relationship. These early years as a creative arts teacher, dance teacher, and Waldorf teacher before her counseling days shaped the integrative and somatic approach she brings to her work today, built on lived experience and guided by something deeper than method.
the great expansion
I began exploring global practice, deeper tools, and embodied legacy
As Kate’s work evolved, so did her reach. She became co-author of the manual that integrates Somatic Experiencing with the Safe and Sound Protocol for Unyte, blending trauma healing with nervous system science. She began mentoring practitioners, training clinicians, and consulting with families and foundations across multiple countries. Her work began to cross international borders and she worked within and alongside varied populations of both wealth and poverty.
Whether leading a somatic training, supporting an emerging adult, or guiding a family through conflict, Kate offers grounded wisdom and clear presence that leave a lasting impact.
- Co-author of manual integrating Somatic Experiencing (SE) with Safe Sound Protocol (SSP)
- Supervisor & Practitioner Trainer
- International Consultant & Speaker
- 50 Years of Supporting Individuals & Families
- Trusted by families & organizations around the world
- Speaker at 2022 International Polyvagal Institute Summit
an aligned path
my journey continues
to reach, teach and support
the lives of others
Today, Kate’s work is the integration of a lifetime, woven from five decades of therapeutic mastery, spiritual depth, and embodied wisdom.
She offers a range of services designed for individuals, families, and practitioners ready for true transformation. From somatic coaching and grief rituals to global consulting, mentorship, and immersive retreats, her work is grounded in relationship, rooted in the body, and guided by the sacred.
Whether you’re navigating legacy, loss, or longing, Kate serves as a steady compass, one who’s walked the path, and now walks with you.
Credentials, Certifications, and Contributions
Kate Appleton works with individuals, couples, families,
and high-impact organizations.
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)
- BFA, Art/Dance from Kent State University
- M.Ed. Special Ed from Lynchburg College
- M.Ed. Counseling from Lynchburg College
- Licensed Professional Counselor (VA)
- Somatic Experiencing® (Trauma Therapy)
- Emotional Focused Therapy (for couples)
- Guided Imagery Through Music (GIM)
- Sand Tray World Play
- Mari® Mandala Assessment
- Play Therapy
- Sexual Disorders
- Transforming Touch®, Transforming the Experienced-Based Brain
- Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders
- Psychodrama
- Gender Identity Formation
- SoulCollage®
- DARe (Dynamic Attachment Repatterning experience)
- Waldorf Early Childhood Education Training
- SEGAN Model (Sensation, Emotion, Gesture (in color), Action, in the Narrative) Creative use of SSP
- Somatic Experiencing® (Trauma Therapy)
- Emotional Focused Therapy (for couples)
- Guided Imagery Through Music (GIM)
- Sand Tray World Play
- Mari® Mandala Assessment
- Play Therapy
- Sexual Disorders
- Transforming Touch®, Transforming the Experienced-Based Brain
- Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders
- Psychodrama
- Gender Identity Formation
- SoulCollage®
- DARe (Dynamic Attachment Repatterning experience)
- Waldorf Early Childhood Education Training
- SEGAN Model (Sensation, Emotion, Gesture (in color), Action, in the Narrative) Creative use of SSP
- Contributor to 2 books (for Linda Brady and John Winder)
- 2018 Award: Best of C-Ville’s Best in Town for Counselors
INSIGHTS FROM KATE
Resources, Insights and Writings
Kate’s work extends far beyond the one-on-one space. Over the years, she has developed a rich body of resources, reflections, tools, and teachings to support individuals, families, and practitioners on their journey toward embodied healing and relational clarity.
If you’re curious to explore her writing, dive deeper into her approach, or access tools to support your own growth, you’re invited to explore Kate’s growing library of articles, recordings, and curated resources.
