Our Therapist
Catanna is an Indiana Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, an EMDRIA-approved Certified Therapist and Consultant-In-Training, and a TCM Practitioner. She began her journey in 2012 as a behavioral therapist, working with children with autism and their families. As a mother to children with autism, ADHD, and anxiety, she understood firsthand the profound impact of support and aligned her personal passion with her professional advocacy.
Throughout her career, Catanna has worked with at-risk youth at a nonprofit treatment center, providing residential and outpatient services, and at a Functional Family Therapy practice, assisting children and families referred through child welfare and Juvenile Justice systems. Recognizing her strong ability to address trauma and facilitate progress, she partnered with a community mental health agency to treat complex cases and lead groups for individuals with co-occurring PTSD and substance abuse problems.
As her experience grew, Catanna transitioned to a pediatric outpatient mental health practice, working with individuals aged 4 and up to foster resilience and resolve trauma. She also directed services for those with rare genetic disorders, neurodiverse conditions, and complex traumas.
Her life experiences, including having family members in military and law enforcement, shaped her desire to serve those who serve. Driven by her passion, Catanna opened At Your Pace Counseling, LLC, in 2020 to support families with high needs and expand her services to the First Responder community and their loved ones.
In her work with first responders, Catanna employs a trauma-informed approach that acknowledges their unique stressors. Her comprehensive, tailored approach integrates several evidence-based practices, including:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): A therapy that helps clients process and integrate traumatic memories, reducing their emotional impact.
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT): Combines cognitive therapy with mindfulness strategies to help clients manage their thoughts and emotions, particularly those related to trauma.
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT): Helps clients, especially children and adolescents, understand and change the thoughts and behaviors that stem from traumatic experiences.
- The Cortina Method: Utilizes advanced techniques grounded in neuroscience to address trauma at a deep, neurological level.
- Gottman Method for Couples Therapy: Applies principles to help couples navigate relationship difficulties, often exacerbated by trauma.
- IFS-Informed EMDR: Integrates Internal Family Systems (IFS) with EMDR to address trauma by exploring and healing internal parts of the self.
- Somatic Experiencing: Focuses on the body’s sensations to release trauma stored in the nervous system and restore a sense of safety and balance.
Catanna emphasizes peer support programs, fostering community and reducing isolation and stigma for first responders. Her trauma-informed care creates a safe, supportive environment where clients feel understood and validated. She believes in being straightforward and transparent, building trust and collaboration.
Her primary focus is applying a trauma-informed lens to treat trauma, mood disorders, personality disorders, substance use, crises, and relationship difficulties. With extensive training, she is an EMDRIA Certified therapist and Consultant-In-Training, with advanced training in IFS-Informed EMDR, Trauma-Informed Yoga for EMDR therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and more.
Catanna integrates her personal experiences into her therapeutic approach, drawing from her journey as a mother to children with autism, ADHD, and anxiety, and her life experiences with family members in military and law enforcement. These experiences deepen her empathy and understanding, allowing her to connect with clients on a personal level and provide tailored, compassionate care.
Catanna lives in Fort Wayne with her husband, their children, a Shih-Tzu named Java, a Golden Doodle named Freya, a retired K9 Belgian Malinois named Loki, and a chunky cat named Vega that none of the dogs agreed to. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing card and board games, watching horror movies, listening to true crime podcasts, kayaking, hiking, and camping.