Dr. Kate Balestrieri, CSAT, PsyD - Expert

Dr. Kate Balestrieri, Psy.D., CSAT-S, is a Licensed Psychologist (Clinical and Forensic) in CA, FL and IL. She is a Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist – Supervisor, and PACT II trained couples’ therapist. Dr. Balestrieri earned her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, and completed her Post-Doctoral Fellowship though the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine with a concentration in Forensic Psychology. In over 14 years of clinical experience, she has conducted clinical and forensic evaluations, provided expert witness testimony in court, and been a treatment provider in clinical, forensic, and correctional settings.

The Founder of Modern Intimacy and Co-Founder of Triune Therapy Group, Dr. Balestrieri is a passionate advocate for mental health, relational and sexual health and wellness. In her private practice, Dr. Balestrieri works with adults, individuals and couples, primarily around treating trauma, substance abuse and addiction, intimacy disorders (sex/love addiction and sexual dysfunction), eating disorders and body image issues, bipolar disorder, Posttraumatic Stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. She also conducts comprehensive personality assessments, differential diagnosis evaluations, and screenings for the presence of alcohol/drug addiction, compulsive relationship behavior, and other psychosexual evaluations. 

Throughout her work, Dr. Balestrieri focuses on helping people build resilience and recovery from what ails them to move from a position of pain or discomfort to one of thriving, holistically in their lives. In that effort, Dr. Balestrieri works with individuals astutely to help mitigate anger management concerns, establish healthy boundaries, build effective communication strategies, and improve relationship patterns.

Guided by the synthesis of psychodynamic, interpersonal neurobiological, attachment focused, cognitive behavioral, somatic and systemic principles, Dr. Balestrieri incorporates evidenced-based research on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, to help people integrate a complete mind and body experience. Dr. Balestrieri establishes an individualized treatment plan with each person or couple, and works with them collaboratively to maximize their strengths throughout the process of therapy

Currently, Dr. Balestrieri maintains her role as the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Triune Therapy Group in Los Angeles, CA, as well as a small concierge and online practice in Chicago, IL and Miami, FL. An enthusiastic educator, Dr. Balestrieri has taught multiple graduate level courses, including the treatment of Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking, Projective Personality Assessment, Group Psychotherapy, Research Methods, and others. She hosted a popular talk radio show entitled Behind Closed Doors with Dr. Kate & Lauren, on Talk Radio 790 KABC dedicated to the dissemination of topical information associated with sex, relationships, addiction, mental health, and related social issues in 2018. Dr. Balestrieri is currently writing several books, including one titled F*ck You, F*ck Me: Rage, Sex and Money in Relationships and Modern Society. This book investigates the relationships people maintain with anger, money and sexuality as a primary defense against relational pain, and how their attempts to stay safe in relationships end up ultimately thwarting their bids for intimacy.

Historically, Dr. Balestrieri has worked in various prisons, in-patient and out-patient treatment centers, helping people to address co-occurring addiction and psychiatric issues. She previously served as a board member for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV),  the volunteer Clinical Director for the Los Angeles chapter of A Home Within, and now channels her philanthropic efforts into giving back 5% of all sales on Modern Intimacy products to a different charitable organization monthly.

Prior to relocating to CA in 2014, Dr. Balestrieri had a successful private practice in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, and worked at the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Cook County Juvenile Court Clinic, the Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, where she treated incarcerated adults and adjudicated youth with myriad needs, while exploring the intersection of mental illness, trauma, and addiction and the legal system. Additionally, Dr. Balestrieri is also trained in alternative dispute resolution, and is a member of the American Psychological Association, American Psychology Law Society, Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, California Psychological Association, the PACT Institute, and the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals.