About Strength Counseling

Hi and welcome!

I'm Kathryn Taylor Millán, MA, LPC/MHSP, BCC. Thank you for visiting!

All those letters behind my name mean am a clinically experienced, Licensed Professional Counselor with a Mental Health Service Provider designation, and I am an NBCC Board Certified Life Coach. Basically, I took a lot of classes, got a few degrees, and then worked in community mental health for many years, passed a lot of tests, and... here we are.

I specialize in helping women overcome the things that hold them back from the life they want. I may be able to help you with:

Overcoming unhealthy relationships
Learning to love yourself
Building better connections with others
Phobias and fears
Fertility issues, including the IVF and IUI journey
Healing from childhood and adolescent traumas in adulthood
Pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting
Becoming a better (happier!) parent or step-parent
Growing the goals and dreams you always wanted (because, hey, life is short!)
Healing after narcissistic abuse or challenging break-ups
Getting (and keeping) the love you want
Building your best emotional relationship with your finances

Strength Counseling was founded on the idea that every human has inner strength and capability. Even if we sometimes struggle to find that strength, it's in there. My job is to help you harness your inner strength and gain peace and mastery over your life, and I take that job very seriously.

The Strength Counseling Approach

I named my business “Strength Counseling” because it is my goal to focus on client strengths, despite any obstacles or “stuck places” people may have had in the past. My approach is to first find out what's working, and then we can work together to build upon that.

While we do focus on strengths, I won’t “candy-coat” what I see— a solid counseling partnership is based on mutual trust and honesty. I’m going to give all I can to give honest, real feedback as we partner toward your healing.

I want you to feel empowered in every step of your counseling process. We will work together to form a plan of action that is based around your goals and dreams. My job is not to force an agenda on anyone, but rather, to share information, discuss and uncover who you want to be, and help you find healing from things that held you back in the past. Good therapy isn’t something that happens TO you, it is something that happens BECAUSE of you.

So… how does the idea of partnership tie in with clinical mental health counseling? It starts on day one. In many counseling locations around the world, the therapeutic relationship begins with a diagnosis of some kind, and— honestly, a diagnosis is essential if you choose to use insurance to cover your sessions. This can be very daunting for many people. This whole idea of a therapist judging and assessing can even keep people from the entire healing process.

In my practice, I operate in a judgment-free zone. Before we dig deep, I want to take some time to get to know you. If your insurance company requires a diagnosis for coverage, I want us to partner to find out if you even need a diagnosis-- and then to find one that feels right to you, too. And don’t forget... diagnoses that people receive do NOT define who that person is. You are never a diagnosis. You are much, much more than that.

Much of therapy is about healing and learning. It’s about getting to know yourself better, and learning more about how your brain works in certain situations. The better you can work with yourself, the further you can go in life!

Therapy only works if you do your part. Choosing therapy or coaching for yourself requires dedicated effort, and it is an ongoing choice. My goal is to support my clients toward success, but ultimately, the credit goes to each person who is on her healing journey. A famous saying goes, “It works if you work it, and you are worth it!” It may sound cliché, but it is true.

Okay, But What Kind of Person are You?

My career path began many years ago in public relations and marketing, but it was always clear to me that I wanted to help people. (Isn’t it funny how we go down paths that aren’t the best fit when we are young?) I was not far into my career when I realized I just wasn’t going to feel work satisfaction until I pursued this whole counseling thing.

After completing my master's degree, I began working with survivors of domestic violence and other crimes. I specialized in crisis work with women and children, and did that work for years. I also spent time working with individuals in addiction recovery, specializing in "dual diagnosis," which means both addiction plus some type of mental health concern, such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. I managed a team of continuing care coordinators for a major rehab company. I became trained as an addiction recovery coach.

As I deepened my work with women and children, I gained specialized knowledge in trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy and the parent-child bond with a specialty in healing women and helping mothers and children heal from abuse. I worked with children and adolescents for many years, and that is where I became fascinated with helping heal various attachment issues that happen in childhood. That work was invaluable, because today, I work with adults and I can see the effects of childhood trauma, and I can see places where even us grown-ups can heal.

I have led community-based classes in parent/child relationships, public speaking (especially for those who are afraid to speak publicly), and domestic violence awareness. I co-wrote a book to help children understand addiction. I help men and women understand and overcome abuse. In private practice, I specialize in working with women's issues. All along this path, I have often taken on work as a freelance writer and editor, a job I also enjoy, so I find time to do it when I can--- but I only write about psychology and mental health, because it helps keep me informed, so it is a hobby that serves a few purposes at once!

In 2020, I became a board-certified life coach, and began offering coaching services to adults world-wide, including ex-pats outside of the U.S., those who travel for work, traveling musicians and artists, and those who just want to focus on motivation and moving forward with life goals.

Outside of work, I am a friend, activist, mom, and stepmom. I believe in worker's rights and social justice. I believe in personal advocasy and medical advocacy, because in my late 20s, I overcame a medical condition that almost killed me. I have experienced marriage, divorce, and the great healing path of becoming happy with myself before I found my best life partner. I also lived the infertility journey. I was a caregiver for my mom before she passed on. I put myself through school. I learned financial wellness on my own. I'm an Enneagram 6 (The Loyalist), which may be why I kept my last car for 18 years. I'm an animal lover, and I am currently owned by two very sassy cats. I'm an Xennial, and I'm fascinated by how our generations seem to define us. I believe in science, but I embrace my spiritual side and the power of intuition. I find the humor in life, I sometimes attempt to read several books at once, I stay fit with dance, and I make highly experimental gluten-free cakes so I can badly decorate them.