Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Robinson.
Hi Katie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in the beautiful mountains of Northeast Georgia and experienced my fair share of life’s complexities and challenges. I was privileged enough to find the arts (particularly music and theatre) as a way to learn about myself, explore emotions, and find comfort amid chaos. After receiving a scholarship through the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, I attended the Walnut Hill School for the Arts to study musical theatre. I went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in Theatre for Youth from Piedmont University in 2014. While there, I realized my interest in using the power of the arts to help others. That started as performing in children’s theatre plays and helping kids learn using creative self expression. Because of that inspiration, I went on to earn my master’s degree in Drama Therapy from New York University in 2016. I then moved to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where I worked as a child counselor and advocate at a nonprofit organization supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence. This was empowering, important work, and it was hard.
I’m a lifelong learner, so after a few years, I jumped headfirst into school once again and earned my doctorate (PhD) in counseling psychology from the University of Georgia’s Mary Frances Early College of Education in 2022. During that time, I provided outpatient testing and psychotherapy to folks of all ages, engaged in advocacy and mental health care through the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, received extensive training in psychological assessment and educational testing, and completed an externship in pediatric diabetes psychology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. I completed my doctoral residency at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children/Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, where I worked in inpatient psychiatry, emergency support, outpatient care, testing, and consultation/liaison psychology. In 2023, I completed my post-doctoral fellowship in testing psychology under the supervision of Dr. Paul Cohen.
I became a licensed psychologist in the state of Georgia in August 2023 and incorporated as Katie K. Robinson, PhD, LLC in 2024. In my current practice, I provide psychoeducational testing to help people, particularly kids and teens, understand themselves better. This looks like helping diagnose things like ADHD, dyslexia, and other mental health and learning concerns. My philosophy: the more we know, the better we respond! I also provide therapy for teens with a focus on anxiety, specifically that experienced by young people who feel an intense need to achieve and succeed. I like to approach it all with flexibility, creativity, and play; Though my work is serious, a bit of whimsy makes it a lot more fun for everyone.
In my everyday life, I love to spend time with my husband and dog, read fantasy novels, learn how to bake gluten free treats, engage in community support, play Dungeons & Dragons, and explore new places in my backyard and abroad. I’m an open-minded, thoughtful person who embraces the silly in every day life!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My road was bumpy, but made safer by people and organizations and access that I am privileged to have. Growing up in a rural part of our state (my hometown is Cornelia, GA), I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I didn’t have access to some things because of location, money, lack of knowledge. But I had a lot of drive. I worked effortfully to earn access to things by being a high achiever, and that enabled me access to eye-opening, life-changing opportunities that helped me grow into the person I’m still becoming. That wasn’t without personal, financial, academic, or emotional hardship.
In terms of my career, I am one of those folks who didn’t know what she wanted to be until she became it, and sometimes still wants to be other things! Let it be known, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. But it has made my experience more eclectic and a little more chaotic at times. As a mental health professional, I’ve worked in a lot of different places and interacted with the systemic inequities and challenges faced by folks who are trying to get their needs met. I was one of those people for a lot of my life, too.
Ultimately, I like to think the “through line” of my career and education has been self-expression, autonomy, and identity, even in the face of hardship. Theatre helped me find a place to learn about myself, then I turned that into my duty as a mental health professional. Now, I share that with kids.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an independent psychologist in private practice in Sandy Springs, GA. This means I am my own small business, providing psychoeducational testing and therapy to kids, teens, and young adults. Testing with me is designed to help people, particularly kids and teens, understand themselves better. I am specialized in the assessment of ADHD, Dyslexia and other learning and processing concerns, and mental health concerns like anxiety, OCD, and depression. Testing can be a huge commitment of time, effort, energy, and money. My goal is to help kids and the people who love them have a road map that feels tangible, accessible, and validating.
I also provide therapy for teens with a focus on anxiety, specifically that experienced by young people who feel an intense need to achieve and succeed. I use Drama Therapy and other evidence based therapies like Acceptance and Committment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and more to create a space for a young person to feel seen, heard, and understood.
I think there are few things that set me apart from psychologists doing similar work. First, my theatre background brings a creativity and flexibility to my work that is wholly unique; Though I take my work very seriously and strive to give the highest quality service, a bit of whimsy and play makes the process a lot more fun for everyone. When a kid says, after doing the hard tasks of testing, “Can I come back?” I know I’ve done just that. I also pride myself in the relationship building and connections I make with kids. I’m lucky to have held tightly to my sense of wonder well into adulthood, and I bring that directly into my interactions with kids. I treat them like humans, with respect and dignity, and I meet them where they are in every moment.
The thing I’m most proud of brand-wise is creating a warm, welcoming environment that makes people comfortable. From my office space to my website to the in-person experience of me, I want to create safety in an otherwise chaotic world.
Here’s what I want readers to know: working with a psychologist can feel intense, especially when you’re a parent or caregiver seeking support for a kid you love. My goal is to make that process a little less overwhelming by dispelling myths, being open and thoughtful, and being your sidekick through an otherwise complex journey.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I’m a lifelong Georgian but newer to Atlanta, and I take a lot of pride in the new community I’m developing as I get to know our city from my place just the tiniest bit OTP.
It is deeply gratifying to feel connected by word of mouth referrals and those who’ve trusted me with their children, and then trust me with other people in their life. It is such a pleasure to be reminded that we can have each other’s backs in that way.
More info about me and my work is available at my website, www.katierobinsonphd.com.
Photography shared in the next parts of this article was by River Whittenburg (https://www.riverwhittenburg.com/).
Pricing:
- Psychoeducational testing (price based on age/grade) ranges from $3600-4275
- Psychotherapy $250/session (not currently accepting clients)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katierobinsonphd.com
- Instagram: @katierobinsonphd
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katierobinsonphd/
- Other: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Katie+K.+Robinson,+PhD,+LLC/
Image Credits
River Whittenburg Photography
