Meet Katherine Zeigert of Monarch Therapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Zeigert.  

Hi Katherine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! Thank you for having me and the opportunity to share a bit of my story. Growing up my first introduction to social work was through my parents, they both worked in the field at different points in their careers before becoming public school teachers. Growing up my parents made it a priority to expose my siblings and I to individuals from all different walks of life, rather it be in our small hometown or the summers we spent traveling the country. It was through those experiences and my own personal experiences that I began to conceptualize mental health and the ability human connection has to influence mental health in a positive way. Fast forward to high school, I went to therapy for the first time myself which sparked an interest in clinical social work. I participated in dual enrollment at a local college while in high school and that is when I signed up for my first psychology course, Childhood Developmental Psychology. I was hooked. I had never discovered something I found so fascinating before, and I quickly developed a passion for it. I began job shadowing in the field and set my long-term goal of becoming a clinical social worker specializing in childhood trauma after job shadowing at a Children’s Trauma Assessment Center. After high school/early college, I completed both my Bachelor’s and Master’s of social work as well as an additional specialization in Trauma at Western Michigan University while working in the field. I started out by supervising court-ordered parenting time for Lutheran Social Services (now Samaritas) and moved on to working in the LINK, Crisis residential/respite, and Mobile Crisis Response (MCR) programs at Family and Children Services in Kalamazoo. While completing my master, I also completed an internship at a local private practice providing counseling free of charge for individuals who were not able to afford it otherwise. After passing my board exam and receiving my full licensure, I started my own practice, Monarch Therapy LLC. In my practice, I work primarily with children and adolescents/young adults and also provide all counseling services for a local interpersonal violence shelter, Sylvia’s Place. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been a smooth road. While completing my education and still today I struggle with my own mental health. Yes, mental health is my life’s work, but I am also human. I experienced childhood trauma of my own that I am still working on healing today, and therapy has been an integral part of that healing process for me. It is easy to look in from the outside and see the “highlights” of someone’s life and fall victim to comparison, but that is never reality. For example, the last few years were hands down the hardest years of my life thus far. I lost three of the people I love most in the world all in the matter of a year, all in the midst of the pandemic and trying to figure out how to show up for my clients while also keeping them (and myself) safe. As hard as these past few years have been, though, I am also incredibly thankful for them. Without them, I likely would not have taken the leap and opened my own practice yet. It has always been a long-term goal of mine but was truly brought to life during that period of transformation and growth following those hard years. That is actually where the name comes from, my grandma Lucy was one of my loved ones I lost during that time and she had a contagious love for Monarch butterflies. That paired with butterflies representing transformation, it was meant to be. 

We’ve been impressed with Monarch Therapy LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business, Monarch Therapy LLC, provides therapy via telehealth for children and adolescents, as well as therapy for individuals leaving situations of interpersonal violence. During the pandemic, I recognized the need for secure telehealth options for many services, including therapy, and am honored to meet that need for my clients. It gives a whole new meaning to “meeting clients where they’re at”, which has proven to be very beneficial, especially to my clients with limited access to transportation. I specialize in trauma and interpersonal violence specifically. I take great pride in running my business ethically. Ethics have always been very important to me, both personally and professionally, and have been at the forefront of my business since day one. I believe all individuals deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and run my business according to that principle. 

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Whew, that is a tough one. I have so many great memories from my childhood but if I had to pick just one, it would be our family vacations to Beaver Island. My extended and immediate family have been going to the island for decades, long before I was born. In fact, I was only a couple months old my first trip to the island. It has always felt like home, and I cherish that time spent with my whole family together. It has been my “happy place” for as long as I can remember. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.monarchtherapykzoo.com
• Instagram: @monarchtherapykzoo

Image Credits
Enna Photos