Katie Brumfield, AMFT

Therapist in Sacramento & Online

Marriage & Family Therapist Associate

Katie@lovehealgrow.com
916.542.9768
pronouns: she, her, hers

Available Monday – Thursday (including evenings)

Specialties:

Relationship Therapy for Couples & Individuals
Healing from Betrayal: Infidelity, Secrets
Communication
Men navigating relationships, learning how to open up
Women navigating relationships, body image, feeling like they don’t fit in

Sex Therapy
Couples beginning, rebuilding, or improving their sexual connection

Teens & Adults: Eating Disorders, Body Image & Anxiety

Faith-Based Counseling or Faith Trauma Healing for Couples & Individuals
Katie embraces all individuals and faiths; upon request she can practice from a Christian perspective or incorporate any other faith you practice into therapy.

 

Katie Brumfield Sacramento Therapist Online copy

I help people who are holding onto hope even though they are hurting and unsure of how to get to a better place.

 

You can experience more fulfillment in your life and relationships! I’m here to support you.

 

I’m the type of therapist who will listen deeply & compassionately while helping you make lasting change so you can have the life & relationships you crave.

 

Sometimes it just feels like there isn’t a way out of the pain.

 

I’m here to tell you that there is.

I’ve worked for years to support my clients in their healing from past experiences, creating healthier relationships, and growing their own self esteem and worth.

 

Therapy with me can help you improve communication, feel better about yourself, decrease anxiety and (most importantly) help you build the life & relationships you crave.

 

I have specialized training in evidence-based practices that are rooted in mindfulness, empathy and self-compassion, and a deep connection to what matters most (loved ones and our values).

 

I use person-focused therapy to create a safe space for my clients to explore all of the vulnerable parts both of themselves and within their relationships. I also often integrate mindfulness-based science-backed practices that help my clients feel supported and prepared to apply what they have learned in therapy to their own lives and relationships. 

 

Culturally competent care- No one should feel that they have to dismiss parts of themselves in order to be in therapy.

 

I understand the important role one’s culture can play in their communication styles, values, and goals, all of which will have a large impact on the therapeutic process. I practice culturally competent therapy by taking the time to learn about all of the wonderful aspects of your culture that are important to you, so that we can engage in a therapy style that will truly work best for you. 

 

You can have better relationships with others.  You can have a better relationship to your body.

You can like–no–LOVE yourself. 

It’s all possible.

 

Through this empowering experience, clients feel better about themselves and have true hope for their future.

My areas of expertise are:

 

Christian Counseling for Individuals: 

Something often I hear is, “When do I know it’s time to seek the help of a mental health professional? Shouldn’t I just pray about this and trust God?” 

Why do you need to choose?

 I help support Christians who are deeply connected to their faith and would like to incorporate their beliefs into counseling. What exactly this looks like is up to you!

This can include prayer in session, discussing conflicting beliefs that are causing you to feel stuck, processing church hurt or residual anxiety from purity culture, using Christian terms/language, scripture, and more. You tell me what you think will be most helpful and I will follow your lead. If you’re not sure, we can brainstorm together.

I want you to know that although I am a Christian, I will not project my beliefs onto you; I want to hear about your faith and experiences. I would be honored to hear anything and everything you would like to share with me. 

Christian Counseling for Couples:

After years of praying for God to lead you to your partner, you have finally found the love of your life. And while you are grateful for them, you are also feeling confused or discouraged because your relationship is not what you expected it to be. 

The good news is, you don’t need to have it all figured out in order to feel relief from struggles in your relationship. I would love to support you in any way I can.

I help Christian couples who: 

-Are in the beginning stages of their relationship and want to have a solid foundation of communication

-Are looking for premarital counseling as they tackle some tough topics in preparation for their union

-Have been together a long time but feel distant from their partner and would like to feel that “spark” again

-Are looking for sex therapy to support the physically intimate part of their relationship, whether due to anxiety from purity culture, difficulty talking about sex, mismatched sex drives, etc. 

-Have experienced infidelity and are looking for hope and healing

 

Couple’s Counseling Specialties:

Infidelity: Maybe you are the partner who is feeling blindsided and betrayed, and you don’t know how you can possibly recover from this heartbreak. Or, maybe you are the partner who was unfaithful, and you are experiencing such immense guilt and shame, you can’t bear to look at yourself in the mirror. Whichever partner you are, I know you are hurting. I want to provide the hope that couples can  heal and strengthen their relationship after infidelity. 

Emotional intimacy: Sometimes we are so out of practice of opening our hearts to someone, vulnerability feels like a lost skill. Or maybe we have closed ourselves off after being hurt one too many times.Through practice and willingness, couples can strengthen romance and connection, and I would love to support you along the way. 

Sex therapy: Talking about sex is hard sometimes! I love to create a space where couples can get honest with each other about their own needs and desires so that they can build a sex life together that is safe, intimate, and enjoyable. 

High conflict: I have so much admiration for couples who come into therapy due to high conflict because I know some things they are up against: Feeling guilty about ways they have reacted in arguments with their partner, exhaustion from experiencing the cycle over and over again, and tons of shame because they feel they should “know better”. I am not here to judge you;  I actually want to help reduce the shame and guilt, strengthen your communication skills, and generate healthy conflict resolution. If you and your partner are committed to stopping the cycle, I would love to support you. 

Individual Counseling: Eating Disorders

Maybe after years of telling yourself that what you are dealing with “is not that bad”, you are tired of minimizing your experience. You feel exhausted, confused, and unsure about so many things. What you do know, however, is that you are ready to start feeling better, and are needing some support along the way. 

I help clients who: 

-Want to heal body image issues or increase self-esteem 

-Are interested in body acceptance 

-Have an eating disorder but have felt marginalized for some reason in the eating disorder recovery space 

-Might not meet the requirements for an eating disorder, but struggle with disordered eating or chronic dieting

 

Individual Counseling: Relationship Therapy for One 

Couple’s counseling is not the only way to work on relationships in therapy. Doing relationship work in individual therapy can be helpful if: 

-You’re new to or recently back on the dating scene and are looking for support 

-You have noticed certain patterns in your dating history that you are curious to learn more about, whether that be the type of partner you are picking or the way you respond in relationships 

-You are in couple’s therapy with your partner but want your own space for processing and support 

-You have childhood trauma or relational trauma that is impacting your current relationship

-Keep in mind, relationship therapy is not just for romantic relationships. Maybe you’ve experienced toxic friendships or an unhealthy relationship with a family member. Let’s process the pain, do some boundary setting, and work on those assertive communication skills. 

 

On a Personal Note…

I am an extroverted self-care enthusiast. My faith is my grounding source. In my free time, you can probably find me in the midst of going down an internet rabbit hole about the latest topic that interests me. I enjoy spending time with my loved ones, including my husband and (also extroverted) parrot named Paco.

Articles by Katie

Body Acceptance: How Body Positivity Creates Pressure & Stress

Formal Credentials

License
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, #120599:
Registered to practice psychotherapy in California
Supervised by Megan Negendank, LMFT #93259

 

 

Education

M.S., Marital and Family Therapy: California State University, Dominguez Hills
B.A., Psychology: California State University, Long Beach

Advanced Trainings/Certifications
Gottman Method Couples Therapy:
Level I
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Center for Discovery
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Introduction, Richstone Family Center
HAES (Healthy at Every Size) Trained, Center for Discovery
Suicide Prevention Training

Gottman Couples Therapy: Level 2 (In progress)
Gottman Couples Therapy: Trauma and Infidelity
Modern Sex Therapy Institute: Addressing Common Sexual Concerns in Individuals and Couples
Modern Sex Therapy Institute: LGBTQIA Affirmative Therapy
Modern Sex Therapy Institute: Alternative Sexualities/Non-Traditional Relationships
Anti-Racism & Culturally Affirmative Care,
Diversity & Resiliency Institute of El Paso

Love Heal Grow Relationship Therapy Center Sacramento

Free Relationship Therapy Starter Pack

*How to Find a Therapist

*What to Expect in Your First Appointment

*How to Get the Most Out of Therapy

*How to talk to your boss about going to therapy during the workday

*How to seek reimbursement for therapy from your PPO plan

*Over twenty pages of relationship and life stressor tips and exercises that it would usually take 10+ therapy sessions to cover.

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