Hello, I’m Kat Weiss-Malik.

I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and a Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (supervised by Diana Walla, M.S., LPC-S, LMFT-S) in Austin, Texas. I work with adult individuals, couples, and families who want to heal and grow. If you feel like you’re stuck or like you’ve tried everything else, then I might be the right therapist for you. I love supporting clients who want to do deep work, so they can heal longstanding issues.

My approach is relational, intuitive, and trauma-informed. I believe you are the expert on you, and I have a set of tools to help us reach your goals. I am Certified in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and NARM, but I sometimes weave in other approaches including attachment theory, Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) and polyvagal theory, mindfulness, somatic practices, the Gottman Method, Terry Real’s RLT, and Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFS for Couples). No matter what comes up in session, I’ll always be right there with you, and we’ll figure it out together.

“I wondered, ‘Why have I been chasing happiness my whole life when bliss was here the entire time?’”

— Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love

Before becoming a therapist, I had a vibrant career in the corporate world. I’ve worked for large companies like Facebook, nonprofits like the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, and several startups. I also lived in Europe for a while, first as an au pair, then as a student while I earned my MBA, and finally as an employee at a tech company. I had a lot of adventures around that time, and my life looked great on Instagram, but in reality, I was struggling. Like many of us, I experienced developmental trauma growing up, and my early attempts at therapy didn’t help much. CBT was not for me. Eventually, however, my unresolved trauma led to serious health and relationship problems, so I did the research and found the right tools to help me heal, both physically and emotionally. Parts of me wish I had found answers sooner, but I believe we all do the best we can. When I finally started healing old wounds with the help of a number of talented therapists and healers, it was hard, but it was also transformative. The changes I’ve made have allowed me to live a much happier, more authentic life. In other words, I’ve been down the road you might be on, and I would be delighted to be your guide as you take steps toward your own healing.

These days, I’m still learning and growing. Right now, I’m exploring qi gong as a way to cultivate physical and emotional health. I’m also learning mahjong, and even though I’m not much of an artist, I really enjoy street art. In fact, most of the photos on this site are snapshots of street art that inspired me at one point or another. (I’ve asked permission and given credit as best I can.) Finally, I live near Austin, Texas with my husband, my stepdaughters, and our cats, Honeybee and Taco.

How I Work

In a perfect world, I believe everyone would have a supportive therapist on their team. After all, I work with a team of medical professionals to care of my physical health. Since my mental health is equally important, why wouldn’t I work with skilled professionals in this area of my life as well? However, it’s important to note I’m not a doctor, and I don’t practice like one. I’m not here to tell you what’s wrong with you and how we’re going to fix it. In fact, I rarely believe diagnoses are helpful, and I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with you. I want to know what’s happened in the past, and I want to understand the system you’re a part of now, so we can figure out why your feelings and behaviors make sense in the present. Some might call this a trauma-informed lens. By getting to know the many parts of ourselves, we can better understand why we do the things we do and feel the way we feel. If something doesn’t make sense, it’s our job to get curious. Internal Family Systems (IFS) is my favorite way to explore the inner world, and I’ll pull in other approaches or tools as needed.

While I may not focus on diagnoses, I realize there are times when diagnoses can be supportive. If someone has ADHD, for example, it’s helpful to know that, but it doesn’t mean something is wrong. Instead, it helps us to understand how their unique brain works, so we can take that into account in our work together. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and I talk about the brain a lot with clients. We were born with brains and bodies; thanks to these complex pieces of equipment, we also have emotions that are meant to help us navigate life. Unfortunately, none of these tools came with an instruction manual, and most of us didn’t learn everything we needed to know in kindergarten or from our families. I believe everyone does the best they can, but it’s hard for parents to teach what they never learned themselves. I believe good therapy can help us bridge those gaps and fill in missing information while we build skills to live happier, healthier lives.

I aim to make our sessions a judgment-free space, and I am delighted to work with all kinds of people with all kinds of beliefs. Even when I have strong opinions on a topic, it’s not my job to tell you what to do—you are the expert on you and your life. That said, I’m human. Sometimes, I make mistakes. Therefore, I’m open to feedback, and I believe in having hard conversations. In fact, those conversations are crucial if you want to have great relationships, and I believe that great relationships make life so much better. Finally, I believe we can heal from trauma and learn to navigate even the most challenging relationship issues. I’m not talking about managing symptoms or getting by, nor do I believe we should fake it until we make it. I’m talking about doing the deep work to address the root cause of an issue. It’s a longer road, but in my experience, it’s worth it.