On Mt. Kiluea with Ohi’a Lehua, Sacred Hawaiian Dragon tree of rebirth. Reaching out for support is a powerful step. Finding a therapist you feel safe with is essential. My hope is that what you read here helps you sense whether we might be a good fit.
In terms of how I identify, I am first and foremost a mother, a daughter, a sister, and an auntie for blood and chosen family. I’m queer and neurodiverse. I live on Coastal Miwak land in Mill Valley, California with my children, my partner, and our cats. I feel deep gratitude for the land here and the ancestral and current communities that have tended to this place. My own ancestral roots trace to the forests of Eastern and Northern Europe.
My path to becoming a therapist has been shaped as much by lived experience as by formal training. Like many, I have moved through seasons of darkness and disorientation. Through contemplative practice, time in nature, and sustained inner work, I learned how to remain steady in the presence of intensity and extend compassion toward parts of myself I once struggled to accept. That journey deeply informs how I sit with clients today.
While my work is grounded in attachment science and nervous system awareness, it is also informed by a reverence for relationship — with ourselves, with one another, and with the living world. I support clients who are spiritually curious as well as those who simply want a grounded and steady space to make sense of their emotional lives.
I hold a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. My clinical training includes Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Psychosynthesis, Hakomi, DBT-informed skills, sand play, and depth-oriented approaches that support emotional integration.
Clients often describe my presence as supportive, non-judgemental, warm, and grounded. I aim to offer a regulated and compassionate space where intensity can be held without overwhelm, and where humor and lightness can coexist with depth.
Hi, I’m Kate Merrill Evans
What it’s like to work with me
Sessions with me are steady and engaged. I am active without being intrusive, warm without collapsing boundaries, and able to hold intensity without rushing to fix it. I pay close attention to the emotional patterns unfolding in the room and help slow them down so they can be understood rather than unconsciously repeated.
Clients often share that they feel both supported and gently challenged. Humor and lightness are welcome alongside depth.
My work integrates Emotionally Focused Therapy, parts work, and nervous system attunement. I focus on helping clients understand how attachment history and protective patterns shape present-day reactions. As self-judgment softens and steadiness grows, more intentional and constructive connection becomes possible.