Meet Dr. Cate Revak: The Heart Behind Prism Psychotherapy
Hi, I’m Dr. Catherine “Cate” Revak, and I’m the therapist behind Prism Psychotherapy. If you’ve landed here, there’s a good chance you’re carrying a lot—grief, trauma, anxiety, burnout, or just the quiet ache of trying to hold everything together for everyone else.
Prism Psychotherapy was born from a simple belief:
You are not “too much.” You’re just not meant to carry it all alone.
My work centers on helping people untangle painful experiences, make sense of their stories, and move toward lives that feel more grounded, authentic, and hopeful. Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident, and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
A Non-Traditional Path to Therapy
My path to becoming a therapist hasn’t been linear—and I’m grateful for that.
Before I became a clinician, I:
Served in the United States Air Force
Spent 15 years in financial services, navigating high-pressure, high-responsibility environments
On paper, those worlds look very different from social work and psychotherapy. In practice, they taught me how to:
Have hard conversations with honesty and compassion
Sit with people in crisis and uncertainty
Understand the unique pressures on people who are constantly expected to perform, provide, and protect
Those experiences shaped how I show up as a therapist: direct but kind, grounded but human, and deeply aware of the systems that shape our lives—military culture, workplaces, financial stress, gender roles, and more.
What Prism Psychotherapy Is All About
Prism Psychotherapy is a virtual therapy practice designed to be:
Trauma-informed – I understand how trauma shows up in the body, mind, and relationships, and I will never push you to go faster than your nervous system can handle.
Identity-affirming – Your gender, sexuality, culture, and lived experience are not “side notes” to your story. They’re central. You don’t have to explain or defend who you are here.
Deeply compassionate and honest – I will hold space for your pain, and I will also be real with you. Therapy with me is a place where you can cry, swear, laugh, grieve, and question—all of it belongs.
I draw on evidence-based, relational, and socially aware approaches, integrating research with real-world understanding of trauma, power, and identity.
Who I Help
While I work with a range of adults, there are some groups of people who tend to find a special fit with me and my practice.
1. Survivors of Trauma and Sexual Assault
My doctoral work focused on male-on-male sexual assault in the U.S. military, and much of my clinical work centers around trauma—both “big events” and the slow, grinding kind that builds over years.
I work with people who:
Have experienced sexual assault, hazing, or coercion
Struggle to name what happened because it was minimized, dismissed, or labeled as “just part of the culture”
Carry intense shame, self-blame, or confusion about their reactions
In our work together, we:
Name what happened in language that honors your reality
Explore what safety, trust, and connection can look like for you now
Work to reduce trauma symptoms like anxiety, hypervigilance, nightmares, or emotional numbness
You don’t have to have the “right words” to start. We can find them together.
2. People in Transition (Grief, Identity, and Life Changes)
Life doesn’t fall apart neatly. It unravels slowly—through loss, burnout, identity shifts, and relationships ending or changing.
I support people who are navigating:
Grief and loss – of a person, a relationship, a role, or even the version of themselves they thought they’d be
Major life transitions – career shifts, moves, breakups/divorces, retirement, or leaving long-standing communities or institutions
Identity questions – around gender, sexuality, faith, and belonging
We make room for your grief and confusion without rushing you toward a silver lining. Together, we work toward a life that feels more honest and more yours.
3. High-Responsibility Humans: Helpers, Leaders, and Caregivers
If you’re the one everyone else leans on, you may be used to:
Keeping it together for others
Minimizing your own pain
Feeling guilty when you’re not okay
I work with:
Clinicians, social workers, and helpers
Military members and veterans
Professionals in high-pressure environments
Family caregivers and “default” emotional support people
Therapy can be the one space where you don’t have to be the strong one, the calm one, or the one with all the answers.
How I Show Up in the Therapy Room
If you work with me, you can expect:
Warmth and realness – No performative nodding and no “how does that make you feel?” on repeat. I’m engaged, present, and curious.
Respect for your pace – We will not dive into the deepest trauma on day one. We build safety and capacity first.
Attention to systems and power – I don’t just look at “your symptoms.” I look at what’s happening in your environment, history, workplace, community, and culture.
Sessions are held virtually, so you can join from wherever you feel most comfortable—your home, office, or somewhere in between. My goal is to keep the logistics simple, so your energy can go toward your healing.
If You See Yourself Here, You’re Not Alone
If something in this post sounds uncomfortably familiar—if you’ve been quietly holding too much for too long—this may be the right time to reach out.
At Prism Psychotherapy, you don’t need to have the perfect story, the right words, or a polished version of yourself. You just need to show up as you are.
You’re not broken. You’re responding to what you’ve been through.
And you don’t have to keep doing it alone.
If you’re curious about working together, I invite you to reach out for a consultation or explore the site to learn more about my approach, services, and upcoming presentations.
Your story matters. Let’s start there.