Practitioner record · Checked 7 Oct 2026
Kathryn Shumate has been in practice 40 years and is licensed in Virginia. Kathryn lists addictions, LGBT and trauma and abuse among 11 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from Kathryn's own BetterHelp listing, taken from public licensing records, or written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such. Nothing here is an availability promise, a review, or a rating.
01 · Who Kathryn works with
Kathryn lists 5 specialisms and 6 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Kathryn chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.
02 · In Kathryn's own words
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
I am licensed in Virginia with 40 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with coping with addictions, lgbtq+ related issues, trauma and abuse, & coping with grief and loss. I work with my clients to create an open and safe environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgment. It takes courage to seek out a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps towards a change. I am here to support & empower you in that journey.
Kathryn Shumate, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026
03 · How Kathryn works
These are the clinical methods Kathryn lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Kathryn's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Kathryn runs a session.
04 · What happens next
Kathryn practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Kathryn's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.
BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Kathryn at this point.
BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Kathryn is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Kathryn.
You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.
A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.
Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.
05 · Before you commit
Built from what Kathryn actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Kathryn's - Kathryn has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.
“How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”
Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.
“With 40 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”
Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.
“How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”
On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.
06 · Practical details
07 · Provenance
Kathryn's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.
The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.
Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Kathryn. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.
Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.
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