LCSW, 10 years of experience
New to Grow
Hi, I’m Dr. Catherine T. Revak, DSW, LCSW—but please, call me Cate. My path to becoming a therapist wasn’t a traditional one, and I’m grateful for where it led me. I served in the United States Air Force and spent 15 years in the financial services industry. While those roles may seem far from social work, they taught me how to build real connections, navigate hard conversations, and show up for people when it matters most. Eventually, I felt called to make a change. I returned to school as an adult undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, where I studied Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. That time helped me reflect on my own experiences and deepened my understanding of how we relate to ourselves and others. I stayed at Penn for both my master’s and doctoral work, focusing on veterans’ mental health, and grief, loss, and bereavement. My time at the Michael C. Crescenz VA and hospice care taught me how powerful a quiet presence can be, and how healing often begins in the smallest, most human moments. In therapy, I focus on creating a space where you feel safe, seen, and supported. I draw from psychodynamic, narrative, and trauma-informed approaches, but at the heart of my work is a belief in the power of relationship. Whether you’re navigating loss, transition, or uncertainty, I’m here to walk alongside you as you find your way toward clarity, connection, and healing.
In our first session, I’ll start by introducing myself and explaining how I can support you through your grief. We’ll gently explore your experience, including what you’ve been feeling and what this loss has been like for you. Together, we’ll identify what you may want or need from therapy, set meaningful goals, and talk through helpful information about the grieving process. From there, we’ll begin shaping a plan that feels supportive and manageable for you. We’ll end the session by reviewing what we’ve discussed and making sure you feel grounded and supported before you leave.
My life and professional experiences shape the way I support clients in grief therapy. Having served in the military, I understand resilience, trauma, and the challenges that come with profound life experiences. My work in the financial services industry honed my ability to navigate complex systems with clarity, and my experience in hospice gave me direct insight into loss, end-of-life care, and the deep emotions grief can bring. These experiences allow me to provide a compassionate, understanding space where you can feel heard, supported, and guided as you navigate your own journey through loss and healing.
I help those who are navigating a significant loss — the death of a loved one, a miscarriage, abortion, divorce, estrangement, or a major life transition. I find that clients often feel overwhelmed, isolated, or stuck, and unsure how to move forward. What they’re really looking for is a safe, compassionate space where they can be seen and supported without pressure to "move on." Clients want help making sense of their experience, learning how to carry it, and finding meaning again. They're not seeking to forget, but to honor what they’ve lost while building a life that still feels worth living. My work is deeply influenced by my time as a hospice social worker. Now, I support people through all types of loss—death, divorce, miscarriage, rejection—across every stage of life. Grief is deeply personal, confusing and often misunderstood. I offer a space for healing, where loss can be acknowledged, integrated, and carried with compassion.
Compassion-Focused Therapy helps people grieving a loss by softening self-criticism and creating a kinder, more supportive inner voice. It strengthens emotional safety through soothing and grounding skills that make overwhelming feelings easier to bear. By encouraging gentle acceptance and connection, it helps individuals navigate their grief with greater resilience and self-compassion
Grief therapy helps you navigate loss by giving you a safe, supportive space to express and process the full range of emotions that come with grieving. It guides you in making sense of the loss, adjusting to life changes, and finding healthy ways to stay connected to what or whom you’ve lost. Through this work, you can move toward healing with greater clarity, resilience, and emotional balance.
A humanistic approach can be deeply supportive during grief because it centers your lived experience, your emotions, and your pace of healing. It offers a non-judgmental, empathic space where you feel fully heard and understood as you make sense of your loss. By emphasizing personal meaning and your own inner strengths, it helps you reconnect with hope, identity, and growth as you navigate life after loss.