Presentation Summary
Objectives:
Participants will learn the short and long term effects of sexual trauma across multiple domains.
Participants will better understand how to help survivors advocate for their own needs.
Participants will learn how to guide survivors and partners through six pillars of reestablishing a healthy connection with sexual intimacy.
Meet the Speaker
Dr. Kate Balestrieri, Psy.D., CSAT-S, is a Licensed Psychologist (Clinical and Forensic)
in CA, FL and IL. She is a Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist –
Supervisor, and PACT III trained couples’ therapist. Dr. Balestrieri earned her Doctorate
of Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, and
completed her Post-Doctoral Fellowship though the Northwestern University Feinberg
School of Medicine with a concentration in Forensic Psychology. In over 14 years of
clinical experience, she has conducted clinical and forensic evaluations, provided expert
witness testimony in court, and been a treatment provider in clinical, forensic, and
correctional settings.
The Founder of Modern Intimacy and Co-Founder of Triune Therapy Group, Dr.
Balestrieri is a passionate advocate for mental health, relational and sexual health and
wellness. In her private practice, Dr. Balestrieri works with adults, individuals and
couples, primarily around treating trauma, substance abuse and addiction, intimacy
disorders (sex/love addiction and sexual dysfunction), eating disorders and body image
issues, bipolar disorder, Posttraumatic Stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. She
also conducts comprehensive personality assessments, differential diagnosis
evaluations, and screenings for the presence of alcohol/drug addiction, compulsive
relationship behavior, and other psychosexual evaluations.
Throughout her work, Dr. Balestrieri focuses on helping people build resilience and
recovery from what ails them to move from a position of pain or discomfort to one of
thriving, holistically in their lives. In that effort, Dr. Balestrieri works with individuals
astutely to help mitigate anger management concerns, establish healthy boundaries,
build effective communication strategies, and improve relationship patterns.
Guided by the synthesis of psychodynamic, interpersonal neurobiological, attachment
focused, cognitive behavioral, somatic and systemic principles, Dr. Balestrieri
incorporates evidenced-based research on the connection between thoughts, feelings,
and physical sensations, to help people integrate a complete mind and body
experience. Dr. Balestrieri establishes an individualized treatment plan with each person
or couple, and works with them collaboratively to maximize their strengths throughout
the process of therapy.
Currently, Dr. Balestrieri maintains her role as the Executive Director and Co-Founder of
Triune Therapy Group in Los Angeles, CA, as well as a small concierge and online
practice in Chicago, IL and Miami, FL. An enthusiastic educator, Dr. Balestrieri has
taught multiple graduate level courses, including the treatment of Sexual Abuse and
Human Trafficking, Projective Personality Assessment, Group Psychotherapy,
Research Methods, and others. She hosted a popular talk radio show entitled Behind
Closed Doors with Dr. Kate & Lauren, on Talk Radio 790 KABC dedicated to the
dissemination of topical information associated with sex, relationships, addiction, mental
health, and related social issues in 2018.
Dr. Balestrieri is currently writing several books, including one titled F*ck You, F*ck Me:
Rage, Sex and Money in Relationships and Modern Society. This book investigates the
relationships people maintain with anger, money and sexuality as a primary defense
against relational pain, and how their attempts to stay safe in relationships end up
ultimately thwarting their bids for intimacy.
Historically, Dr. Balestrieri has worked in various prisons, in-patient and out-patient
treatment centers, helping people to address co-occurring addiction and psychiatric
issues. She previously served as a board member for the National Coalition Against
Domestic Violence (NCADV), the volunteer Clinical Director for the Los Angeles chapter
of A Home Within, and now channels her philanthropic efforts into giving back 5% of all
sales on Modern Intimacy products to a different charitable organization monthly.
Prior to relocating to CA in 2014, Dr. Balestrieri had a successful private practice in
Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, and worked at the Illinois Department of
Corrections, the Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic, the Illinois Department of Human
Services, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, where she treated incarcerated adults
and adjudicated youth with myriad needs, while exploring the intersection of mental
illness, trauma, and addiction and the legal system.
Additionally, Dr. Balestrieri is also trained in alternative dispute resolution, and is a
member of the American Psychological Association, American Psychology Law Society,
Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, California Psychological Association,
the American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists, PACT
Institute, and the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals.
*Note: Those who paid for 2021 Annual Participation will automatically receive the link for the presentation the Wednesday before the workshop and do not need to pay for the individual workshop.