Meet Katie

Katie Donovan, LCSW

(Formerly Katie Schad)

Licensed in Ohio, New Mexico, & Illinois

Most of the clients I work with are thoughtful, self-aware, and doing a lot to hold their lives together — yet something in their relationships still feels stuck, draining, disconnected, or harder than it should be. You may notice the same arguments repeating, feel misunderstood or unappreciated, struggle to communicate your needs without conflict or shutdown, or find yourself questioning why certain patterns keep happening even when you understand them intellectually.

That’s where I focus.

Who I Work With

Individuals

I work with men and women who want to feel more grounded, confident, intentional, and connected in the way they show up in their lives and relationships.

Many of the men I work with struggle to access or express emotions in ways that feel clear, effective, or safe. They may shut down, become defensive, avoid difficult conversations, or feel frustrated that, despite their efforts, relationships continue to feel tense or disconnected. Our work focuses on increasing emotional awareness, strengthening communication, and building the ability to respond thoughtfully rather than react automatically.

Many of the women I work with are highly capable and used to being “the one who handles everything.” They often carry the emotional and logistical weight in relationships, overextend themselves, and feel emotionally exhausted, while still struggling to ask for or receive support. Together, we focus on boundaries, reducing overfunctioning, increasing self-trust, and creating more balanced, sustainable ways of relating.

I also work with individuals navigating neurodivergence, including ADHD and autism. This may show up through emotional regulation difficulties, executive functioning challenges, communication differences, sensory overwhelm, masking, or feeling misunderstood in relationships. Our work focuses on increasing self-understanding, building practical strategies, and helping clients engage in ways that align with how their brain actually works — not how they feel it “should.”

Couples

I work with couples who feel stuck in cycles of miscommunication, defensiveness, resentment, or emotional disconnection — often despite both partners genuinely wanting the relationship to improve.

This may include:

• Recurring conflict that never fully resolves

• Feeling criticized, blamed, or like “nothing I do is right”

• Difficulty navigating roles, responsibilities, or the mental load

• Life transitions such as engagement, marriage, parenthood, separation, or divorce

• Co-parenting during and after separation/divorce

• Rebuilding trust after rupture, betrayal, or emotional disconnection

• Navigating neurodivergence within the relationship, including ADHD and autism, and the impact on communication, emotional needs, and division of responsibilities

• Exploring non-traditional or evolving relationship structures

Families

I work with adult family members — including parents and adult children or siblings — who feel disconnected, stuck in conflict, or unable to move beyond long-standing relational dynamics. This can include differences in communication styles, unmet expectations, unresolved hurt, or difficulty navigating changing family roles. Our work focuses on improving communication, increasing understanding, and creating healthier, more sustainable ways of relating.

How I Work

Most clients come into therapy saying some version of:

“I know what’s happening — I just don’t know how to stop it.”

My approach focuses on helping clients interrupt and change the patterns that keep them feeling stuck.

Together, we identify the cycles you get pulled into — whether that’s overfunctioning/underfunctioning, pursue/withdraw dynamics, defensiveness, emotional shutdown, avoidance, or people-pleasing — and explore what is driving those patterns beneath the surface. From there, we focus on building more effective ways of responding that feel intentional, emotionally regulated, and aligned with who you want to be.

This is not just insight-oriented work. Therapy with me is also practical, collaborative, and focused on helping you actually create meaningful change in your relationships and daily life.

In session, I am engaged, direct, steady, and emotionally attuned. I help clients understand patterns clearly while also supporting them in doing something different. My work is trauma-informed and grounded in attachment theory, with a strong focus on how both past and present relationships shape current emotional experiences and relational dynamics.

I integrate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Structural Family Therapy, and Psychodynamic approaches. Therapy is collaborative — you bring your lived experience, and I help translate that into greater clarity, strategy, and change.

Background

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of experience and provide virtual therapy throughout Illinois, Ohio, and New Mexico.

I earned my Bachelor’s in Social Work from Xavier University and my Master’s in Social Work from Northern Kentucky University. I have advanced training in CBT, EFT, and Structural Family Therapy, and I am certified in premarital counseling through Prepare/Enrich. I am also certified as a respite care provider through Autism Awareness and as an Immigration Evaluations Specialist. In 2020, I was honored to receive the MAGIS Award for my community work.

My clinical perspective has also been shaped by early work in correctional systems and second-chance hiring initiatives, where I developed a strong ability to navigate complex, high-stakes situations with flexibility, nuance, and compassion.

Across all of my work, I remain grounded in the belief that meaningful change becomes possible when people feel both understood and supported in doing something different.

A Little About Me Personally

Outside of therapy, I’m a mom to a baby and a dog. You’ll often find me at hot yoga, reading, or exploring new restaurants and neighborhoods around Chicago with friends. I value curiosity, humor, balance, and authenticity, and I bring those values into my work to help clients feel more at ease, more understood, and more like themselves.