About Katherine
Dr. Katherine Qubain Ernst helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, parenting pressures, mood shifts, and identity questions. She is a licensed psychologist in North Carolina and draws on nine years of clinical experience to guide people through hard moments with practical, steady support.
She keeps sessions grounded and straightforward. Katherine listens for what matters most, then offers tools that fit daily life. Many people seek her help for depression, ADHD, grief, trauma, sleep problems, substance concerns, or questions related to gender and sexual identity.
How Katherine works
Her work blends approaches that focus on acceptance, mindfulness, and emotion regulation. She commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy to help people notice hard thoughts, clarify values, and learn skills for feeling more capable. Therapy includes real-world practice and simple exercises to try between meetings.
Katherine trained at Widener University's Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology after earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Her doctoral internships included public schools, a community mental health center, and an inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. She returned to North Carolina in 2020 and has spent time supporting LGBTQ+ young people and parents in independent practice.
She prefers warm, accepting interactions and an intersectional, trauma-informed stance. Katherine uses she/her pronouns. She lives in The Triangle region of North Carolina with her partner and rescue pets.
Katherine lists 2 ways of working on the entry:
What Katherine works with
The areas below are the ones Katherine selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Parenting issues
Also listed
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Trauma and abuse
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | NC Psychologist |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 9 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | North Carolina |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that guide online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting swept away by them. It emphasizes clarifying values and taking small actions that move life in a meaningful direction, which can help with anxiety, depression, and life transitions.Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches concrete skills for regulating emotions, tolerating distress, and improving communication. These tools are useful for overwhelming moods, relationship stress, impulsive behaviors, and building daily routines.
Finding the right approach is part of therapy. Katherine will work collaboratively to identify which methods fit a person's needs, goals, and preferences. She checks in regularly and adjusts techniques so the work stays practical and relevant.
Online sessions are available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and skills practice. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a camera is not wanted. Live chat and text-based messaging suit shorter check-ins, written reflection, and people who prefer typing over speaking.
These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around school, work, and caregiving. Licensed professionals can use a mix of formats to match the pace and style someone finds most helpful.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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