Diverge and Bloom
Growth happens much like nature itself - gradually, sometimes unpredictably, and with care.
As a therapist, Katie helps clients tend to the parts of themselves that feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected. It takes courage to take those first steps towards growth, and you deserve to have support along the way.
At Diverge and Bloom Counseling, PLLC, you will find a grounding and affirming space where you can deepen self-awareness, strengthen resilience, and create meaningful and lasting change. Healing isn't always about becoming someone new, but rather nurturing what has always been beneath the surface.
Diverge and Bloom Counseling, PLLC is an LGBTQ+ affirming and neuro-diversity affirming practice.
Katie Benoit, LPC offers both in person and telehealth therapy in the state of Texas, as well as telehealth therapy for the state of Oklahoma.
Her dog, Winslow, comes to the office for in-person sessions.
Katie received her M.A. in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine. She spent a total of four years in the Boston area, both earning her degree and working as a therapist. She has now transitioned to working in private practice in the DFW area since 2022.
Click below to reach out with any questions. You can also book an appointment, or request a free 15 minute phone consult to ensure the right therapeutic fit.
OCD requires specialized care, and non-specialized approaches to OCD treatment have even been shown to worsen symptoms. In treating OCD, Katie integrates three evidence-based therapies - tailoring the approach to best suit each individual client.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Inference-based CBT (I-CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are treatment options you can read more about on the "Treatments" page.
Specialized Treatment for OCD
It's exhausting getting caught up in cycles of over-thinking, "what ifs," and overwhelm. It's lonely only relying on yourself because that's what you're "supposed" to do or out of fear of what others will think. It's tiring to always be worrying about getting it "wrong" or not doing "enough." These experiences can be so isolating, and they can make it harder and harder to face the day.
You can have the support you need to develop skills and insight to be better able to manage anxiety with self-compassion and flexibility. Using an eclectic approach, Katie can support you in exploring the roots and patterns of your anxiety, helping you feel more grounded, confident, and connected to yourself beyond achievement and productivity.
Anxiety & Perfectionism
There are so many ways to feel "stuck." You may notice yourself repeating relationship dynamics, repeating old habits or routines you know you don't want, struggling to make the changes you need, feeling disconnected from yourself or from the world, or even just knowing something needs to shift but not knowing what or how.
With the right support you can learn to identify and understand underlying patterns, feelings, and motivations that are keeping you stuck. By creating a space for insight, self-compassion, and values exploration, therapy can help you move towards the change you want.,
Getting Unstuck
Specialized Care
Therapy should be as individual as you are, and care should include a blending clinical expertise with deep human connection
Katie's approach is informed both by evidence-based practices, as well as her own lived experience having ADHD. Katie also has experiences supporting Autisitc and AuDHD clients.
Her neurodivergent-affirming approach focuses on building self-efficacy and self-compassion. Together you will explore personalized systems that work with your brain, rather than against it. Instead of forcing you into neurotypical molds, the focus is on supporting you in building a life that allows you to thrive in your own unique way.
Katie uses an integrative approach to support you in navigating how to cope with intense emotions, reduce and overcome executive functioning challenges, develop your mind-body connection, and improve your relationships with others and yourself.
ADHD is more than having a hard time focusing and sitting still. ADHD is a complex neuro-type with a whole host of challenges, strengths, and unique presentations.
ADHD Support
Relationships - past and present - can impact how you view yourself, how you connect with others, and how you handle things like trust, vulnerability, and intimacy. With the right support, you can work through relationship challenges like people-pleasing, difficulty setting boundaries and communicating your feelings, fears of abandonment, unhealthy patterns of conflict, and attachment style related issues. You can have the space to explore how past experiences may be impacting your present relationships while building healtheir ways to relate to yourself and others.
Relationship Issues
This is an LGBTQ+ affirming practice that honors the experiences of those exploring identity inside and outside of traditional norms.
Affirming care means honoring all parts of who you are. At Diverge and Bloom Counseling, PLLC you will find a warm, nonjudgmental environment where your identities, relationships, and lived experiences are respected and centered.
Affirming Care
By the age of 5, approximately 40% of 5-year-old girls are aware of dieting. By the age of 10, approximately 80% of girls have been on a diet or consider going on one.*
Given the pervasiveness of diet culture and unhealthy attitudes towards food and body diversity in society, it's no wonder that eating disorders, poor body image, and unhealthy relationships with food are so common. However, these issues being common does not make them any less important or worthy of care.
Katie's approach is to work collaboratively with you to re-write internal narratives around body shame while fostering a healthier relationship with food and yourself.
Treatment may also include care coordination with your medical professionals and a Registered Dietitian to best support long-term recovery, health, and self-acceptance
Eating Disorders and Body Image
*Abramovitz BA, Birch LL. Five-year-old girls' ideas about dieting are predicted by their mothers' dieting. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000 Oct;100(10):1157-63. doi: 10.1016/S0002-8223(00)00339-4. PMID: 11043700; PMCID: PMC2530935.
Life Transitions & Identity Exploration
Life transitions and changes to identity can really challenge your sense of stability, sense of self, and sense of direction. Changes in your career, in your relationships, in your goals, and in how you understand yourself can feel destabilizing and overwhelming.
With the support of therapy, you can work through your fears and doubts that so often come with big changes. You can have help in connecting and re-connecting to yourself and what's important to you. Exploring questions of change and identity with curisoity and compassion, Katie can support you in creating space for growth, clarity, flexibility, and a more authentic version of yourself - even if that version seems new and scary at first.
Meet Winslow
While he is not a licensed therapy dog in the traditional sense, Winslow does hold an honorary LPC license (Licensed Pawfessional Counselor) and has been recognized as a CGB (Certified Good Boy) for many years. More recently, he has added BSB (Best Senior Boy) to his accolades.
He has had his own journey of growth and resilience. In the summer of 2018 he could be found roaming the streets of rural Alabama with matted fur and heartworm. Thankfully he was then rescued and treated by a local non-profit, and in October 2018 was transported to New England to his new forever family with Katie (although his physical forever home has since been relocated to Texas).
He loves to nap, eat chicken, dig through small trash cans, and have his ears scratched. His many talents include napping, huffing, stamping his feet, and sneezing. His worst enemies include bath time, the blow dryer, flies, and beeping noises.
Winslow has big ol' eyes and whole lotta love, and he's honored to join you in your healing journey.
Biological
How does you biology impact your mental health and overall well-being? How does your body feel? How do things like chronic health conditions, medical history, and overall physiological functioning impact your daily life? How do things like your vision, audio processing, and hearing impact your perception of the world?
Katie uses a biopsychosocial model to understand and attune the needs of her clients. The biopsychosocial model acknowledges and integrates the reality that overall health outcomes are influenced by physical well being, psychological health, and social environment.
The Biopsychosocial Model
Psychological
This is what we traditionally think of as mental health. What are your thoughts like? How about your feelings? How about the connection between your thoughts and your feelings? What is your mental health history like? What about your family's? What was your upbringing like and how did it impact you?
Social
How are your relationships? What about your sense of community? What supports do you have and what gets in the way of you having the support you need? What is your attachment style like? How do you understand and relate to the world around you? Do you value connection? How much time do you like to have alone?
Ready to breathe easier?
You don't have to go it alone.