Hello everyone! My name is Katrina Yde and I am excited to announce my new, independent practice, Forward Counseling located at the Selah Space Holistic Co-op in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Since this is my first blog post, I thought I'd spend some time sharing a little bit of background of my life and my training. As a native of Sioux Falls, I may be bias, but I feel that the Sioux Falls community has so much to offer in both the leisure and professional life areas. As this community continues to grow and diversify, I have welcomed the opportunities of gaining a deeper understanding of the cultures and individuals that I am privileged to be working with and will hopefully continue to work with in the future. I am committed to continuous growth as an individual and professional. I believe that each person has many intricacies within their life experiences and sometimes may require professional involvement in order to help improve the quality of their life. I honestly feel that it is my true calling to serve others as well as provide them with care and compassion. My faith has been a large contributor to my views on counseling and I feel that my own personal experiences have shaped me in becoming a relatable and versatile therapist. I have the patience, the ability to relate to many complexities of life, and the desire to guide people forward in their lives.
My undergraduate studies took place at the University of Sioux Falls (USF) where I majored in Psychology. Throughout those years I was granted the following internship and professional development opportunities: 2009 - Internship with Minnehaha County Extension Office Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program; 2010 - Internship with Avera Behavioral Health Research; 2011 - Conformity Existing Within Private Responses - Research study and presentation at the University of Sioux Falls Undergraduate Research Conference. After graduating from USF in 2012 and chose to work and gain professional experiences before I returned to graduate school to pursue a degree in mental health counseling.
In between undergraduate and graduate school, I worked as a legal assistant to an attorney who worked in civil, domestic, and criminal law. This position taught me the gravity of ethical standards, as well as respect for client safety and privacy. I also worked in a substance abuse treatment center where my primary role was providing patients with a safe and sober living environment while under an involuntary commitment status and awaiting treatment. In this position, I was also in charge of responding to client or attorney phone calls and inquiries, as well as facilitating chemical dependency and recovery groups.
In 2014 I returned to the classroom, the books, and the homework when I was accepted to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. During my years as a graduate student, I had many opportunities for professional development including the following: 2015 - Interlocking Wheels of Wellness: Helping Ourselves to Help Others - presentation at the South Dakota Counseling Association Conference; 2016 - Unit Therapy Internship with Avera Behavioral Health Center; 2016 - USD Center for Diversity Group Facilitator - Gender and Sexuality; 2017 - South Dakota Counseling Association's Emerging Leader.
While in graduate school, I was fortunate to gain experience working as a Behavioral Health Technician at the Avera Behavioral Health Center in Sioux Falls. During my time there, I provided support services of physical and psychological nature to patients, as well as crisis intervention and facilitating educational groups. I was also able to assist in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) procedures to treat and reverse symptoms of severe mental illnesses.
My other role and part of my Master’s Degree program was as a Unit Therapy Intern where I facilitated individual therapy sessions involving numerous different diagnoses as well as co-occurring disorders and was occasionally involved in patient’s family meetings. As Unit Therapy Intern, some of my other duties included facilitating an adult chemical dependency group, corresponding with patient’s attending psychiatrist regarding treatment planning, and recording within electronic medical records as well as written documentation.
May 2017 I finally graduated with my Masters! I was offered a job at Bartels Counseling Services, Inc. in Sioux Falls. It was here that I experienced a lot of growth personally and professionally. I was able to work with individuals, couples, families, and groups in an outpatient setting. With supervision and a lot of support from co-workers, friends, and family, I obtained my licenses in both mental health and addictions.
Although I have had numerous experiences and job titles, the role that I pride myself on the most comes from my duties within my family’s non-profit organization. Almost ten years ago, my older brother and I formed a non-profit foundation in honor of our younger brother, Jorgen, who passed away from Leukemia when he was just 16 years old. The Jorgen Yde (JY6) Foundation is made up of a board of directors, officers, and a team of volunteers. Together we plan, organize, and implement fundraising events, throughout the year, in an effort to raise funds for pediatric oncology and Leukemia research, as well as provide supportive services to those affected by these diseases.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about me. I'd love to learn about you too! Let's move forward together! - Katrina
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