Who Is Cathy Harris?
Lived Experience
I am a mother who survived a traumagenic family system and long-term involvement in a high-control religious group from the ages of 17 to 43. I returned to college at 40 years old, a decision that ultimately led me to leave the group to which I had dedicated most of my life.
As I contemplated leaving, my freedom became the most important consideration—even as it meant the loss of family and friends. The group practices shunning of members who leave, and I understood that this would be my fate once I no longer believed its teachings or complied with its rules.
Despite the profound cost, I made the difficult decision to leave.
After completing my Bachelor of Science at Iowa State University and earning my Master of Social Work from the University of Iowa, I fulfilled the requirements to become independently licensed. During my training, I worked with adolescents in residential treatment, provided phone counseling through programs facilitated by the Red Cross, and completed specialized trauma training with Dr. Colin Ross in his inpatient trauma treatment program.
As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, has observed:
“For a hundred years or more, every textbook of psychology and psychotherapy has advised that some method of talking about distressing feelings can resolve them. However, as we’ve seen, the experience of trauma itself gets in the way of being able to do that.”
The experience of trauma shaped my life for many years. After a suicide attempt, I found myself in a place I did not love—one that forced me to face difficult truths about my life and the path I was on. Out of that reckoning, I began to find my authentic way forward.
I completed two degrees and met the requirements for independent practice. The journey was not without hardship, but each challenge became a teacher. Over time, I developed personal philosophies and practical strategies for choosing joy over despair, one day at a time.
My evolution as a therapist has included the use of many tools beyond helping clients process their stories. The story matters—deeply—but healing happens in the body. Psychedelics are increasingly demonstrating their potential as catalysts for this kind of embodied healing.
As part of my training as a Psychedelic Integration Specialist, I was required to engage in work with plant medicine. At this later stage of my life, I have come to understand these substances as powerful tools for facilitating deep, transformative work—work that can support living with greater peace and joy after trauma. Both my professional training and personal experience have shaped me into a thoughtful and strong advocate for this work.