Kate Duffy, LCSW (she/her)

My Story

Let’s be honest: being a parent is absolutely wild. It is both the hardest and most wonderful thing I’ve ever done. Whether you’re a parent now or thinking about becoming one, you know that this journey can bring up a ton of vulnerability and fear.

As a neurodivergent person who has benefited tremendously from therapy, I know firsthand that finding the right support can feel overwhelming and often demoralizing. I bring my own unique experience and story to the therapy process just like you do. Here’s a little bit about me:

I have lived experience with chronic anxiety, specifically OCD, which I have grappled with since I was a child. Like so many people, I have suffered from perinatal depression and anxiety throughout pregnancy and postpartum life. I am fortunate enough to have two incredible daughters who have cracked open my world and forever reshaped it for the better.

Despite loving and delighting in my children, becoming a parent (in 2020, no less!) was HARD. I had always wanted children and was overjoyed to learn I was pregnant. But the beginning of the pandemic, flaring OCD symptoms, and general fears about the change I was embarking on got to me. Big time. My first daughter arrived and I plunged into terror and sheer panic. I felt like I was failing constantly and that my brain was a scary and bad place that was fundamentally unsuitable for parenting. Everything felt wrong. I felt at my core that I was deficient and that my sensory needs, compulsions, and intrusive thoughts were signs that I was not going to be a good mom. In fact, I was pretty sure I was going to ruin my child (spoiler alert: she’s fine).

Through all of the spinning out and feelings of being imprisoned by my own thoughts, I was very lucky to get the help I needed. To now be able to give that back to other parents who are struggling is a tremendous honor.

I wish I could say that all these years later, I’ve got it all figured out. But the truth is, no one does. While I have grown tremendously as a mom and find so much more joy and contentment in parenting, I’m deeply aware that it is always a series of peaks and valleys. The highs are high and the lows can be really low. But what I also know is this: you do not have to do this alone. You are a good parent and you can feel more embodied in your needs, less anxious, and more confident. I can help you get there.