The American Rehabilitation Counseling Association’s 2017 Rehabilitation Counselor of the Year, Kathleen Locmelis joined Samaritan’s clinical staff in 2021. A Licensed Professional Counselor, Kathleen counsels youth and adults in our Aspinwall and Oakmont service areas—in-person as well as virtually. Kathleen is known for her “deep commitment to improving the lives of others,” according to those who have worked alongside her and know her well. Kathleen’s areas of expertise include grief, trauma, and a commitment to social justice and person-centered approaches that value an individual’s experience and voice. Compassionate, creative, and a critical thinker, she enjoys using movement, writing, and art in her work with individuals and groups.

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Prior to coming to Samaritan, Kathleen provided counseling services at Pittsburgh Public Schools, Community Mental Health, Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapid, and Catholic Charities. She earned her Master of Health Sciences in Rehabilitation Counseling at Louisiana State University in New Orleans, LA, and Bachelor of Arts Creative Writing Major, Psychology Minor at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI.

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Kathleen’s continuing education includes certification in Somatic Embodiment and Regulation Strategies, Level I-III: Collectively Rooted; Collective Grief and Trauma: Creating a Culture of Collective Hope, Healing, and Resilience in a Traumatized World; and Resilience Collective Grief Summit: Expressive Therapy Institute.

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Additionally, Kathleen is active in serving the community, evidenced by her volunteer work in Adult Literacy, NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness), the Greater New Orleans Writing Project, Free Southern Theatre Institute, and Emergency Communities, Louisiana.