Katherine Combs PsyDDoctorate in Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychologist
Specializing in
- • Adult individual therapy
◦ Anxiety, depression, trauma, and stress management - Couple’s therapy and relationship difficulties
- Peer support supervision
- Post critical incident response
- Psychological assessment and evaluations
◦ Pre-employment and fitness for duty evaluations
Dr. Combs specializes with working with first responders and high stress occupations. With over a decade of experience working with this population, Dr. Combs continues to be passionate about helping individuals who risk their life daily for their communities and the unique impact this can have on the individual or their family.
Degrees and Certificates
- Doctor of Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.), Alliant University, San Diego, CA, 2015
- Master of Arts (M.A.) in Clinical Psychology, Alliant University, San Diego, CA 2012
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2010
License
- 2017 Colorado Licensed Psychologist #4579
Certificates
- Psychological First AID
- TF- CBT (Trauma Focused- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) Certified
- Acceptance Commitment Therapy -4 day Advanced Training
- Certified Clinical Trauma Provider (CCTP)
- Gottman Method Couples Therapy, L1 and L2
- Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C)
Dr. Combs has been providing ongoing counseling and crisis intervention services to first responders and their families for nearly a decade. With various clinical experience in outpatient, inpatient, correctional, and hospital settings, she has received specialized training in a variety of mental health concerns including trauma, anxiety, grief/loss, chronic pain, and depression.
Dr. Combs found herself driven to understand how people think and how to optimize mental wellbeing in all aspects of a person’s life. She started her career by conducting neuropsychological evaluations and trying to understand the brain and its relationship with behavior. Dr. Combs was motivated to work with military, first responders, and individuals in high stress careers after working with this population in graduate school and realizing their motivation, resilience, risk levels, and drive were different than the general public. This population witnesses a significant level of traumatic events that the average brain is not often equipped to handle. She is passionate about wellness, perfectionism, resilience, and the power of the mind body connection.
Additionally, she has been highly trained in working with couples and relationship difficulties. Being a spouse of a pilot, she personally understands the lifestyle of shift work, solo parenting, and the transition of the operator going and leaving for work. Dr. Combs enjoys working with couples and spouses as well navigating these common but tricky realities to being married to a first responder. A specific interest and area of expertise includes women struggling with infertility, perinatal and postpartum, and/or traumatic birth experiences.
Professional Memberships
- Colorado Psychological Association
- San Diego Psychological Association
- American Psychological Association Division 18, Police and Public Safety Section
- Fire Service Psychology Association
- International Association of Chiefs of Police
- International Association of Chiefs of Police: Psychological Services Section
Dr. Combs began working at Nicoletti-Flater Associates in 2015. She sought out NFA because of their longstanding reputation of working with first responders. Since this time, Dr. Combs has been involved with peer support consultation and supervision, conducting trainings, therapy, and crisis intervention. She has responded to critical incidents including officer involved shootings and also extreme events with large psychological footprints such as child homicides, school shootings, and mass casualty events. Additionally, she provides and conducts psychological assessment and evaluations including pre-employment and fitness for duty for multiple agencies.
Dr. Combs’ style is warm and humorous, but with a no nonsense direct and goal-oriented approach. Dr. Combs is focused on providing tangible skills and focus on proactive steps to help individuals see improvement in their lives. There is no greater privilege than helping an individual make their life more meaningful and in line with their values.
When Dr. Combs is not working, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her kids and husband, and exploring the outdoors. She is an avid animal lover and adrenaline junkie.
Peer Support Training
- Children and families
- Counseling and listening skills
- Relationships
Additional Training
- Emotional intelligence
- Relationships
- Resiliency
- Wellness and stress management
Dr. Combs also provides peer support consultation and monthly trainings for various agencies including topics such as wellness, sleep hygiene, stress management, and coping mechanisms.