About Katherine Michelle Burns and Origen Stories

I live in Northern New Mexico with my husband and four good dogs. I love walking in nature with my pups, exploring historic sites throughout the world, doing personal genealogy work and reading.

I have been lucky enough to have a wide variety of life experiences, from being raised on a ranch in Kansas, to living in Central America and countless odd jobs to make a living. All of these experiences led me to study Cultural Anthropology where I developed a deep curiosity and appreciation for cultural inheritance; how identities are formed and our most fundamental need to belong.

I also studied Physical Anthropology and was introduced to genetics and an understanding of the complexities of biological inheritance. These two areas of study instilled a fundamental “nature vs. nurture” debate that I am continuously intrigued by.

I eventually got my Masters in Social Work and became a therapist and coach because I wanted to better understand and support people who are struggling. After years as working with children and adults, I realized that we do not just express our individual suffering through dysfunctional patterns and decisions but we are expressing our ancestors struggles as well. Understanding intergenerational trauma has helped me personally and professionally and led me to the work I do today.

My Approach

I am honored to help people discover new aspects of who they are.  Big life changes such as a DNA surprise, job transition, children leaving the house, becoming a parent, and a multitude of other situations all provide opportunities for a deeper self understanding.  I love helping clients uncover their truth and identify what resonates with them.

When possible, I use genealogy and family stories to provide historic and cultural context clues for clients to help increase their compassion, self understanding and provide insight into their lived experience. Understanding the complexity of history helps put our current life in natural order and provides a greater understanding of patterns, traumas, gifts and resilience that have been passed down through the generations.

I also use Family Constellations in one on one sessions to help heal intergenerational traumas and patterns that do not serve the client and that often didn’t originate with them.

Narrative Therapy, Art Therapy, and Internal Family Systems informed modalities are also an important part of my practice that I find very effective at helping clients integrate new identities with curiosity and kindness.

—Katherine Michelle Burns, LCSW, ACC