About
Hi! I'm Kat.
I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor offering in-person therapy in Philadelphia and telehealth services throughout Pennsylvania and Florida.
The people I work with tend to be thoughtful, emotionally sensitive, and deeply self-aware — and often exhausted by it. They come in carrying anxiety, overthinking, burnout, relationship stress, or the quiet weight of feeling everything so intensely.
As a highly sensitive person myself, I understand how much energy it takes to move through the world while processing emotions, relationships, and everything around you so deeply.
I also work with adolescents and young adults navigating gender-related experiences — including dysphoria, transition-related decisions, and periods of questioning — and with the parents and families who love them and are trying to find their footing too.
My path to this work has been a winding one. Before becoming a therapist, I spent years teaching yoga (and still do!) and working as a writer and editor — for publishing companies, medical journals, blogs, and even cookbooks, which was especially fun.
That background in language still shapes how I work. I care deeply about helping people find words for experiences that feel hard to name — because being understood, precisely and without judgment, can itself be transformative.
My approach draws on training in dialectical behavior therapy, yoga, and holistic health. I believe in caring for the whole person — not just managing symptoms.
At the heart of my work is a spirit of curiosity. I believe meaningful change begins when people feel they can ask difficult questions, explore uncertainty, and examine their experiences without pressure to arrive at immediate answers.
Whatever brings you here — whether you're seeking support for yourself, your child, or your family — I'm glad you found your way. I'd love the opportunity to work with you.
Philadelphia office
I'm pleased to share that I'm now based out of a new office in Philadelphia. If you're in the area and would like to connect in person, I'd welcome the visit — feel free to reach out to set something up.
A bit more about me…
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My approach is collaborative, grounded, and connected to real life.
Many people who find their way to me have spent much of their lives feeling deeply, thinking deeply, and quietly trying to hold everything together. They may appear calm or capable on the outside while privately feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure how to express what they're carrying. Others arrive as parents — worried, exhausted, and looking for someone who will take their concerns seriously without judgment.
My work integrates Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, and nervous-system aware practices to help you better understand anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and patterns that may be keeping you stuck. I take a whole-person approach — attending not only to thoughts and emotions, but also to the body, relationships, and the rhythms of daily life. For those navigating gender-related experiences, I bring the same unhurried lens: less focused on labels or conclusions, more focused on genuine self-understanding.
Self-compassion is central to this work. Many people arrive carrying harsh self-criticism or a persistent sense of not being enough. I enjoy helping people build a more honest and supportive relationship with themselves — grounded in awareness and care rather than judgment.
You don't need to have everything figured out to begin.
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I work with people navigating:
Anxiety, overthinking, and chronic self-doubt
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed while trying to stay high-functioning
Burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and difficulty slowing down
Emotional sensitivity, emotional intensity, or feeling deeply affected by stress, conflict, or criticism
Low self-esteem, harsh self-criticism, or feeling “not good enough” despite outward competence
Difficulty understanding, expressing, or regulating emotions
Anger, emotional reactivity, shutdown, or feeling disconnected from yourself
Relationship patterns that leave you feeling unseen, responsible for others, or emotionally exhausted
Identity exploration, including gender-related questions and experiences of uncertainty, conflict, or self-discovery
LGBTQ+ experiences, including counseling for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and gender-nonconforming individuals
Parents and families seeking support around adolescent and young adult emotional health, identity questions, and family relationships
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The way I work has been shaped by years of clinical experience, formal training, and a commitment to lifelong learning. My goal is to provide thoughtful, compassionate, and evidence-informed care while remaining flexible, collaborative, and responsive to the unique needs of each individual and family.
My professional background includes:
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania & Florida
Over eight years of clinical experience working with children, adolescents, adults, parents, and families
M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Rosemont College
Formal training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) through the Treatment Implementation Collaborative
Experience participating on a DBT consultation team, collaborating with fellow clinicians to strengthen skills and provide effective, compassionate care
Board Member of Therapy First, a professional organization focused on the psychological understanding and treatment of gender-related distress
Therapist facilitator for support groups serving individuals and families navigating gender transition, detransition, and questions of identity through Beyond Trans
Experience in community mental health, outpatient therapy, and private practice
Over 500 hours of yoga teacher training, including specialized training in power, restorative, yin, chair yoga, and mindfulness-based practices
Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach
B.A. in Literature from West Chester University
I continue to pursue ongoing education, consultation, and professional development to stay current with research and best practices. My aim is to combine evidence-based treatment with genuine curiosity, compassion, and an individualized approach that meets each person where they are.
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Outside of therapy, I continue to teach yoga because I value practices that help people feel more grounded and connected to themselves. I’m drawn to simple, everyday ways of pausing and noticing — through movement, time outside, quiet moments, or simply remembering to exhale sometimes.
My favorite tree is the pine, a longstanding symbol of resilience and wisdom. I appreciate the way it continues to grow through difficult conditions, which feels aligned with how I think about therapy: helping people stay rooted in themselves while navigating life's inevitable challenges.
I’m based in Philadelphia, where I live with my wife and our dog, Buster, who keeps life playful and unpredictable in the best way.
I also have a longstanding (and slightly unhinged, in a very specific and curated way) appreciation for Blythe dolls. They’re strange, expressive, and a little nostalgic — which feels oddly aligned with how I think about people: layered, evolving, and impossible to reduce to just one version of themselves.
At the core of my work is the belief that suffering isn’t something we eliminate, but something we learn to carry differently as we build a life worth living. I see counseling as an opportunity for people to feel more understood and a little less alone as they move through the hard parts of being human.
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270 West Walnut Lane
Philadelphia, PA 19144 -
Please use the contact form to reach me. I look forward to hearing from you!
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Ready to book a consultation? I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if we are a good fit. Use this link to request a time. I look forward to meeting you!
Kathryn Hilton, LPC (PA #PC013379) · In-person therapy in Philadelphia · Telehealth across Pennsylvania & Florida