Kate Yingst, DBT Child Teen Young Adult Therapy in Cleveland | Columbus

Therapist specializing in DBT and tking Children, Teenagers, Young Adults, who are struggling with depression, anxiety, school issues, ADHD, behavioral issues, bullying, self-esteem, trauma, social issues, drugs or alcohol, relationships

Kate Yingst, LSW, MSW

Hi there and welcome to Mind Trek Counseling! My name is Florence “Kate” Yingst and you can call me Kate!

Currently, I am taking Children, Teenagers, and Young Adults (18 to 30s) who are struggling with depression, anxiety, school issues, ADHD, behavioral concerns, bullying, self-esteem, trauma, social issues, experimenting with drugs or alcohol, relationships, career stressors, and adjustment to change. I work well with LGBTQ+ populations, young girls and women, and teenage boys who are interested in making a change, looking for accountability, and helping achieve their goals.

I graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and from Northern Kentucky University with a Master of Social Work (MSW) I have a variety of training including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), The Seven Challenges Drug and Alcohol Counseling Program Model for Adolescents, Teaching Family Model, Family Therapy, Psychoeducation, Mindfulness, Music Therapy, Art Therapy, Case Management, Mental Health Group Therapy and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).

I have spent the majority of my career working with adolescents and young adults, most recently working at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Inpatient Psychiatry practicing group and individual Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

How do I approach therapy?

First, I want to get to know you! The first sessions will include working on establishing an effective rapport, establishing goals, and identifying the WHY to see a therapist at this particular moment. I will help you develop a treatment plan to assist with accountability toward achieving your goals. I strive to help you feel confident about your decision-making and accomplishing your goals.
I use strengths-based, person-centered, and humanistic approaches to my therapy practice. For all of my clients, we will continue to focus on the DBT life worth living goals to help identify your purpose and help achieve your goals.
If you are a parent who is seeking therapy for your child I will keep you involved alongside your child's therapy journey while maintaining confidentiality in the therapy room. I will keep you updated on the progress your child is making in the therapy sessions.
I will use psychoeducation on the skills learned in therapy, and the goals and motivators of your child so you can monitor the progress of your child outside of the therapy session. It is important when your child is in therapy that you are open to learning with your child through this journey!

My best skills

DBT

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT is my one of my most powerful tools and I have used it to help so many of my children and young adult clients! It’s to address Borderline Personality Disorder/Presenting, Self Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, and Trauma. Here are the major parts of it:

- Mindfulness: Cultivating awareness of the present moment, promoting non-judgmental observation of thoughts and emotions.
- Distress Tolerance: Equipping individuals with coping mechanisms to tolerate and navigate distressing situations without engaging in harmful behaviors.
- Emotion Regulation: Teaching skills to identify, understand, and manage intense emotions effectively.
- Interpersonal Effectiveness: Enhancing communication and relationship-building skills, fostering healthier interactions with others.

Understanding your life worth living is essential to effective therapy practice and I want to bring each of my clients back to their life worth living goals throughout treatment. I approach TIPP as one of the most effective crisis survival skills. I will teach my patients who are experiencing big emotions (anxiety/anger/etc.) how their nervous system can react to these emotions and how to use TIPP to regulate emotional intensity and begin thinking more clearly.

ADHD Therapy

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) presents uniquely in each individual, and I approach treatment with a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming lens. I work with children, adolescents, and young adults to help them understand how their ADHD brain works — not as a deficit, but as a different style of thinking and experiencing the world. My ADHD-informed approach includes:

Psychoeducation: Helping clients and families understand ADHD — its neurological basis, how it affects attention, impulse control, emotional regulation, and executive functioning — so that behaviors are understood rather than judged.
Executive Function Coaching: Building practical skills around planning, organization, time management, and task initiation. I work with clients to develop individualized systems that fit their brain style.
Emotion Regulation: Many individuals with ADHD experience intense emotional responses and rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD). I incorporate DBT-based emotion regulation skills to help clients identify and manage these experiences.
Behavior Strategies: Using CBT and behavior modification techniques to support positive habit formation, reduce avoidance, and improve follow-through at home, school, and in relationships.
Family and School Collaboration: When appropriate, I work with parents, caregivers, and school teams to ensure consistent support across environments, including assistance with IEP/504 plan goals.
Strengths-Based Perspective: I help clients with ADHD identify and celebrate their creativity, energy, hyperfocus abilities, and unique ways of problem-solving — building self-esteem alongside skill development.

CBT

Behavioral concerns can cause distress in the client’s setting, academic setting, and social settings. I use CBT with individuals who have behavior concerns to identify goals and motivators and work using the client's strengths to begin making positive changes. When an individual struggles with behavior issues I also work on establishing a solid/effective rapport with the client. As many clients with behavior issues do not trust adults or authority figures, I want to ensure that I can be a trustworthy and respectable adult so that sessions are the most effective in producing change.

Cognitive Restructuring: Helping clients identify negative or distorted thought patterns and learn to challenge and reframe them in more balanced, realistic ways.
Behavioral Activation: Encouraging engagement in meaningful and positive activities to combat avoidance, low motivation, and depressive symptoms.
Goal Setting and Motivation: Working with clients to identify personal goals and motivators, then using their strengths to build a roadmap for positive change.
Rapport Building: Many clients with behavior issues do not trust adults or authority figures, so I prioritize building a trustworthy, respectful relationship to ensure sessions are effective in producing lasting change.
Skills Generalization: Supporting clients in practicing new thought and behavior patterns across home, school, and social settings so changes stick beyond the therapy room.

Trauma Treatment and Trauma Informed Care

I approach each client with a trauma-informed lens, recognizing that all life circumstances and reactions are unique to the person. My trauma work focuses on creating safety, rebuilding trust, and helping clients process difficult experiences at their own pace. Key components include:

Safety and Stabilization: Establishing a sense of physical and emotional safety as the foundation for all trauma work, including grounding techniques and coping skills before deeper processing begins.
Psychoeducation on Trauma Responses: Helping clients understand how trauma affects the brain and body — including fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses — so they can make sense of their own reactions without shame.
Trauma Narrative Work: When clients are ready, gently supporting them in processing and making meaning of their trauma experiences in a paced, manageable way.
Body-Based Awareness: Incorporating somatic and mindfulness-based techniques to help clients reconnect with their bodies and regulate the nervous system.
Strengths and Resilience Focus: Highlighting each client's resilience and coping strengths, reframing trauma responses as adaptive survival skills rather than flaws.
Collaborative Pacing: Always working at the client's pace, ensuring they maintain a sense of choice and control throughout the healing process — recognizing that one size does not fit all in trauma care.

Is it time to tell your story? Are you ready to make a change? Hey, I am so happy you are here. Whether you are looking for a therapist for yourself or your child, I am honored to be considered on this journey for you. Being a teenager and transitioning into adulthood can be very challenging and I am here to help you through these challenges.

Outside of my practice

I also do some volunteer work by teaching about the Zones and Regulation, and coping with big emotions in elementary school classes sometimes. When I am not practicing Therapy I am spending time at home with my husband and two cats. I also enjoy pilates, reading a good book, and traveling.