Katelin Hanhart, LCSW
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Meet Katelin

Down to earth and easy to talk to, yet professional with years of experience.

I'm Katelin Hanhart, LCSW — a licensed clinical social worker helping high-functioning adults heal the after-effects of relational trauma. Warm, honest, educational. Never stuffy, never clinical-cold.

Katelin Hanhart, LCSW, at her desk
At a glance
Credential
LCSW
Licensed in
California & New Jersey
Experience
13 years in practice
Format
In-person & telehealth
Specialty
Relational trauma
Insurance
Aetna · United (Headway) · TRICARE

LCSW · CA #92638 · NJ #44SC05665400

About my work

You're not broken. You're carrying something.

Therapy with me doesn't look like a clipboard and a checklist. It looks like a real conversation with someone who's genuinely curious about you — and trained to notice what you might not yet have words for.

My core work is with adults whose lives have been shaped by trauma — emotional, mental, verbal, physical, or sexual abuse and neglect — as well as the quieter emotional wounding that comes from experiences that left you feeling less-than or powerless, inside the home or outside of it. Those experiences live in the body and show up later as perfectionism, a relentless inner critic, over-functioning, people-pleasing, anxiety that won't quit, addictive coping, repeating relationship patterns you don't fully understand, and a quiet sense of never being enough — no matter what you accomplish.

We work with the imprint, not just the story. That means we go at the pace your body can trust, build safety before we build insight, and treat the relationship between us as part of the medicine. I've been in practice for 13 years and draw on CBT, DBT, EMDR, motivational interviewing, somatic approaches, parts work, relational style, and compassion-focused therapy.

How I think about the work

The three A's.

A simple frame for the work we'll do together — and the order it tends to unfold in.

  • A
    Awareness

    Slowing down enough to see what's actually happening — in your body, your relationships, your inner dialogue — without judgment.

  • A
    Action

    Small, sustainable changes that match what your nervous system can hold. Insight is the starting line, not the finish.

  • A
    Accountability

    A steady, honest relationship that helps you stay with the work, even when the old patterns try to pull you back.

The shape of the work

How I think about therapy — and how you might experience it.

Katelin relaxing on a sofa with a warm mug, soft natural light
"The relationship is the medicine."

Four lenses I keep close — together they shape how a session actually feels.

  • Why I do this work

    Because relationship is where wounds live — and where they heal.

    Most of my clients arrive looking fine on paper. They're the dependable one, the high achiever, the friend everyone calls. Underneath, they're tired in a way sleep doesn't fix, dragging a harsh inner critic and a relationship pattern that keeps repeating. That's almost always the after-effect of relational trauma — and it doesn't unwind in isolation. It unwinds in a different kind of relationship. That's what I offer.

  • How I show up

    Warm, honest, educational. Real, not rehearsed.

    I'm direct without being cutting, and soft without being vague. I'll explain what's happening in your nervous system in plain language, name the patterns I see with care, and make room for the parts of you that have been quietly running the show. Because I believe you are a whole person, we'll take a whole-person approach to truly understand all parts of the picture you're presenting with.

  • How we work

    Psychoeducation, somatic awareness, and real repair — at your pace.

    Sessions blend relational depth-work with practical psychoeducation: what trauma does to attachment, how the inner critic forms, why over-functioning feels safer than being seen. We pair that with body-aware practices you can actually use between sessions. I draw on CBT, DBT, motivational interviewing, EMDR, somatic approaches, parts work, and compassion-focused therapy — woven together to match what your system actually needs. Consent is the floor. Your pace is the rule.

  • Who I'm for

    High-functioning adults quietly carrying more than they let on.

    Helping professionals. First responders and the people who love them. Women rewriting the rules they were handed. Anyone in recovery from substances, from over-functioning, from the version of themselves they had to become to survive. If any of that feels close to home, you're in the right place.

Licensed

California & New Jersey

LCSW · CA #92638 · NJ #44SC05665400

Format

Secure telehealth

50-minute weekly sessions via HIPAA-compliant video. Some evenings available.

Approach

Relational & trauma-informed

Educational, body-aware, consent-led. No clinical distance, no shame, no rush.

Wondering if we're a fit?

The free 15-minute consult is yours to decide. No pressure, no paperwork.