Notice what is here without rushing past it.
About
A Place to Pause began as a therapy practice and grew into a home for reflection, creativity, connection, and meaningful change.
Meaningful change often begins when we slow down enough to listen.
Dr. Katie Thorrud, Psy.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Psychologist, writer, painter, and founder of A Place to Pause.
Why I created A Place to Pause
Meaningful change often begins with space to listen.
After years of clinical work, I have come to believe that meaningful change rarely comes from pushing harder, moving faster, or trying to force ourselves into a better version of who we think we should be.
Again and again, I have witnessed the importance of reflection: the moment someone has enough space to hear themselves more clearly, make sense of what they have been carrying, and reconnect with what matters most.
A Place to Pause grew from both my work as a psychologist and my own experience finding clarity through writing, painting, mindfulness, creativity, and meaningful conversation.
I created A Place to Pause as a space where clinical depth, reflection, creativity, and community can meet—a place for therapy, groups, workshops, and meaningful conversations that help people reconnect with themselves and move forward with greater intention.
How do we create space to reconnect with ourselves, with others, and with what matters most?
Reflection, creativity, mindfulness, conversation, and community
Practices that support meaning, connection, and sustainable change.
My work is grounded in evidence-based psychology and shaped by reflection, mindfulness, creativity, conversation, and connection. These practices help create space for noticing patterns, making meaning, and approaching change with curiosity rather than pressure.
Whether through therapy, groups, workshops, or community gatherings, the intention is the same: to support thoughtful, sustainable change that feels connected to real life.
Grounded clinical experience
Clinical depth held with care, steadiness, and integrity.
I am a licensed clinical psychologist with experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, life transitions, identity questions, relationships, burnout, grief, and the weight of long-held patterns.
My clinical work is thoughtful, collaborative, and grounded in psychological training. I draw from evidence-based approaches while also paying attention to the whole person: your history, relationships, values, culture, creativity, and the meanings you make from your experiences.
Rather than centering credentials as the whole story, I see my training as part of what allows me to hold these spaces with care, steadiness, and integrity.
My Approach
Moment • Meaning • Movement
We begin by slowing down enough to notice what is present. We take time to make sense of your experience with curiosity and care. From there, we explore movement: small, intentional steps that align with what matters most.
Make sense of your experience with clarity, reflection, and care.
Choose your next steps with intention rather than pressure.
Beyond the Therapy Room
A broader home for reflection, creativity, community, and meaningful change.
A Place to Pause began with therapy, but the vision has grown into something broader: a home for reflective spaces that support reconnection, creativity, community, and meaningful change.
While therapy remains an important part of this work, meaningful reflection and growth can also emerge through conversation, creativity, community, and shared experience.
Whether through therapy, groups, workshops, community gatherings, or collaborative projects, each offering is connected by the same purpose: creating space to pause, listen, reflect, and move toward what matters most.
You Are Welcome Here
Begin with a conversation.
Whether you are seeking therapy, a group, a workshop, or a community gathering, you are welcome to begin with a conversation.
You do not need to have everything figured out. Sometimes the first step is simply creating enough space to notice what is asking for your attention.
Connect