Today we’d like to introduce you to Kattie Bachar.
Hi Kattie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am an only child born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA. In my preteen and teenage years, I fell into a deep depression and struggled in school, which shook my confidence and made me question my abilities and prospects in adulthood. The one area in which I excelled was music. Performance was where I felt free and was the tool with which I eventually launched, attending California Institute of the Arts from 2010-2014 and graduating from the music department’s VoiceArts program.
The summer after graduation, I was flooded with existential questions and decided to make a sharp right turn into a new field. I enrolled in Antioch University Santa Barbara’s MA in Clinical Psychology Program and graduated in 2017. I am now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) specializing in working with LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and couples. I also teach in the MA programs at Antioch University Santa Barbara and Pacifica Graduate Institute. The existential questions inherent to living that propelled me into this new career will never be fully answered, but my work with clients and students provides meaning to my life that balances the inherent human struggle with the unknown.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has not been smooth, but I have been supported by many. The most notable challenges were financial and emotional. My struggles in school were both with academics and peer bullying, which created a great need to be loved by others later in life before I could love and believe in myself. My family always worked hard and instilled in me a certain grit and work ethic, which has helped me earn resources to help resolve some of the initial financial struggles. We didn’t have a lot, but we always made it work.
I happened to attend private schools for the entirety of my higher education, and several individuals helped make that a possibility. My dad was my biggest advocate and pushed me to go to CalArts, taking on a great deal of financial and logistical stress. A private foundation nearly carried me through undergraduate and grad school with their generous support. I am not a religious person, but the way that others have shown up for me and the luck I seem to have had made me believe in something greater than myself.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am thrilled to offer therapy services at my office in Downtown Santa Barbara and online throughout California. I am known in my community for specializing in working with LGBTQ+ folks from all walks of life, particularly transgender and gender creative folx of all ages. I love holding space for parents and families after a loved one has come out, and have a special place in my heart for pre-teen and teenage clients.
Terrence said it best: “Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto,” or “I am a man; I consider nothing that is human alien to me.” I keep this close when working with clients and use it as a base for my existential-humanistic orientation as a therapist and fellow traveler. Some things that set me apart from others are my emphasis on warmth and connection and my promise to myself and my clients that I will never stop learning and working on myself.
Now more than ever, it’s of the utmost importance to be vocal about supporting the rights of transgender people to live as themselves without fear. I am a proud and vocal advocate and hope to use some of my privilege not only to hold space for people but to create systemic change in my field, school systems, and our society at large. Trans rights are human rights!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Most of my favorite childhood memories are with my dad somewhere outside. What I remembered first is fishing for rainbow trout with my dad in the Eastern Sierras, cleaning them, and preparing them for dinner. Not only was this a wonderful day, but it really taught me respect for nature and the animals that provide some of us with nourishment.
Pricing:
- Sessions are $180
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kattiebachar.com/
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/kattie-bachar-santa-barbara-ca/832886
