Healing is not a straight line. It bends, circles back, pauses, and often demands that we confront the unseen before we can step into the future. For decades, mainstream mental health solutions have sought to “fix” trauma as if it were a crack in the system—something to patch and move on from. Yet lived experience tells us otherwise: trauma is layered, personal, and deeply connected to how we show up in the world.
A quiet revolution is taking place at this intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and holistic practice—where healing is not about silencing the past but unbinding the mind to embrace possibility. Leading this evolution is Catherine Garrow, Owner and Practitioner at Unbound Minds, who has emerged as one of the most influential voices reimagining what trauma recovery can truly mean in 2025.
Struggle to Strength: Catherine’s Journey into Holistic Healing
Catherine Garrow’s journey into holistic trauma healing began in the midst of hardship. Raised in poverty and instability, she experienced homelessness and family turmoil at an early age. These formative struggles gave her a lived understanding of resilience and the silent weight of trauma carried by so many.
Her defining moment came at 21 with the birth of her son, Jayden, who suffered a brain injury at birth. While medical predictions painted a future of severe limitations, Catherine’s determination to advocate for him became the catalyst for her own transformation. Balancing motherhood with relentless pursuit of education, she earned degrees in psychology, sociology, and a Master’s in Social Work. Each step was not only about building knowledge but also about breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma.
Professionally, she gained experience across community health programs, schools, and hospital settings, where she witnessed both the strengths and shortcomings of conventional systems. These insights inspired her to create something different—an approach that addressed trauma in its entirety, not in fragments. In 2021, she founded Unbound Minds, a practice rooted in both professional expertise and personal truth.
Catherine’s story is one of transformation, where adversity became the foundation for advocacy and healing.
Building a Practice with Purpose
The establishment of Unbound Minds marked the culmination of Catherine Garrow’s personal and professional journey. Drawing on years of clinical experience in hospitals, schools, and community health programs, she recognized that conventional models of care often addressed symptoms without acknowledging the deeper roots of trauma. Determined to create a space where individuals could heal in a more integrated and empowering way, Catherine designed her practice to reflect the values that had shaped her own life—resilience, authenticity, and community.
From the beginning, Unbound Minds has stood apart for its holistic methodology. Catherine combines evidence-based therapeutic practices with a focus on lifestyle, neurobiology, and support systems that extend beyond the therapy room. Her approach positions healing as both a personal and collective process, ensuring that each client is not only heard but also equipped with tools to build sustainable well-being.
Today, the practice embodies Catherine’s vision: “a safe and transformative environment where trauma is not simply managed but unbound, allowing individuals to reclaim agency over their lives.”
Redefining Healing, Distinctive Framework
Catherine has developed a distinctive framework that reshapes how trauma recovery is approached. While conventional models often treat trauma as a clinical condition, she views it as an interconnected experience that touches the mind, body, and community. Her practice reflects this philosophy through an integrative model blending evidence-based therapies with holistic strategies tailored to each client.
Central to her method is the belief that healing cannot occur in isolation. Catherine emphasizes the importance of community, encouraging clients to build support networks that extend beyond therapy. This ensures that recovery becomes a lived, daily process rather than a confined clinical exercise.
Equally significant is her use of psychoeducation. Catherine Garrow equips clients with an understanding of trauma’s neurological impact and teaches them how to retrain thought patterns, regulate bodily responses, and develop practical coping skills. Her proprietary “holistic circle” method brings these dimensions together, addressing emotional, physical, cognitive, and social aspects simultaneously.
By combining scientific knowledge with lived experience, Catherine has created a framework that is both rigorous and compassionate. It positions her as a practitioner who not only guides individuals through recovery but also redefines what it means to heal with clarity and lasting impact.
Honored for Excellence
The story of Unbound Minds is also the story of Catherine’s growing influence in the world of holistic trauma healing. Over the years, her work has been recognized through prestigious awards, professional certifications, and features that highlight her as a leader shaping new conversations around trauma and recovery.
- Marquis Who’s Who in America
Recognized as one of the leading professionals in healthcare, awarded two years in a row.
- Top 100 Healthcare Professionals (Marquis)
Acknowledged among the most influential voices shaping the future of healthcare.
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Advanced clinical credentials underscore her expertise in trauma-focused therapy.
- Master’s in Social Work (MSW)
Specializes in mental health and healthcare, forming the academic foundation of her practice.
- Featured in Media
Recognized for her thought leadership in trauma healing across various platforms.
Sustaining Leadership through Daily Practice
For Catherine Garrow, sustainability as a leader is not merely about managing responsibilities but about embodying the principles she imparts to others. Her daily routine reflects an intentional commitment to balance, ensuring that her professional impact does not come at the cost of personal well-being.
Mindfulness anchors her mornings, allowing her to begin each day with clarity and focus. She integrates reflective practices such as journaling and meditation to remain grounded, enabling her to approach clients and leadership decisions with presence and composure. Physical activity also plays a role, reinforcing her belief that a healthy body strengthens the mind’s capacity for resilience.
Equally important is her dedication to continuous learning. Catherine sets aside time for research, professional development, and engagement with emerging studies in psychology and neuroscience. This commitment not only enriches her practice but also ensures that Unbound Minds remains at the forefront of innovative trauma healing.
By weaving together mindfulness, physical well-being, and intellectual growth, Catherine sustains both her personal equilibrium and her professional excellence. Her daily practices serve as a model of integrated leadership, demonstrating how self-care and professional responsibility can coexist to create long-term impact.
Partnerships that Amplify Impact
Catherine Garrow recognizes that meaningful change in trauma healing cannot occur in isolation. Guided by this belief, she has cultivated strategic partnerships that extend the reach and influence of Unbound Minds. Her collaborations with schools, healthcare providers, and community organizations reflect her commitment to creating integrated systems of support that honor the complexity of trauma recovery.
Through these alliances, Catherine has been able to embed trauma-informed practices into broader networks of care, ensuring that individuals have access to resources that transcend the therapy room. By working closely with educators, she has introduced methods that help schools better understand and respond to the needs of students affected by trauma. Her collaborations with healthcare professionals have further strengthened pathways for clients who require both medical and psychological care, bridging gaps that often leave individuals underserved.
These partnerships lie Catherine Garrow’s role as a leader who unites diverse voices around a shared purpose: ‘to reimagine healing as a collective endeavor.’ This capacity to collaborate without compromising her holistic vision positions her as a catalyst for sustainable change in the evolving landscape of mental health.
Client Journeys as a Measure of Impact
The true measure of Catherine’s leadership at Unbound Minds lies in the transformation of the lives she touches. Clients often arrive carrying years of unresolved trauma, uncertainty, and patterns that seem unbreakable. Under her guidance, they not only find clarity but also reclaim a sense of agency that many believed was lost forever.
One such example is the story of a young professional who had struggled for years with the weight of intergenerational trauma. Through Catherine’s holistic circle method, this individual gradually moved from surviving to thriving, regaining confidence in both personal and professional spheres. Another case involved a family navigating the impact of complex trauma; by working with Catherine, they were able to rebuild trust, strengthen communication, and create an environment of stability that supported long-term healing.
These stories illustrate the essence of Catherine’s vision: ‘healing that extends beyond the individual, influencing families, workplaces, and communities.’ Each client’s success becomes a testament to her integrative model, reinforcing her belief that trauma recovery must empower people to live with renewed purpose and strength.
Living Values, Shaping Culture
Catherine Garrow believes that healing comes from values like kindness and responsibility. She knows that culture isn’t made just by rules but by living these values every day to build trust, strength, and growth. With her leading Unbound Minds, the organization focuses on being genuine, where every interaction—with clients, partners, or team members—is honest and respectful.
Catherine instills balance as a guiding value, ensuring that her team upholds professional excellence while remaining grounded in empathy. This balance allows the practice to maintain high clinical standards while still honoring the humanity of each client. She emphasizes open communication, collaborative problem-solving, and continuous learning, which together cultivate an environment where both professionals and clients feel empowered.
By aligning organizational culture with her personal philosophy, Catherine has built more than a practice—she has created a community. It is this alignment of values and culture that enables Unbound Minds to sustain its distinctive identity while amplifying its impact in the broader landscape of trauma healing.
Shaping the Future of Trauma Healing
Catherine Garrow envisions a future where trauma recovery is no longer confined to clinical spaces but becomes an integral part of how societies function and support their people. Her goal is to expand the reach of Unbound Minds by building programs that equip communities, schools, and workplaces with tools to recognize and respond to trauma effectively. By embedding trauma-informed practices into everyday environments, she seeks to normalize conversations around healing and dismantle the stigma that often prevents individuals from seeking help.
Catherine is equally committed to advancing the field through innovation. She continues to invest in research and the development of new frameworks that integrate emerging knowledge in neuroscience, psychology, and holistic wellness. Her vision includes creating educational initiatives that train future practitioners, ensuring that the next generation of leaders carries forward an approach rooted in both rigor and compassion.
Above all, Catherine Garrow sees her role as a catalyst for cultural transformation. Her aspiration is not only to help individuals reclaim agency over their lives but also to influence systems so that healing becomes accessible, collaborative, and sustainable. Through her leadership, the path forward is one where trauma recovery is redefined as a journey of empowerment, resilience, and possibility.
An Open Letter to Aspiring Mental Health Practitioners
Dear Future Leaders,
You know, I’m licensed—and that journey took time, patience, and thousands of supervised hours. Those hours weren’t just about compliance; they were about learning from a supervisor who had already walked the path. Take notes, ask questions, and use their experience as a guide.
Running a practice requires organizational—line charts, bullet points, and lists for everything from federal and state requirements to marketing and reimbursement. Think carefully before making big choices: interview providers, research systems, and choose wisely. Write everything down—because once it’s on paper, it becomes a goal.
Remember, support matters. Seek mentorship, lean on community, and yes, even have your own therapist. Prioritize health—eat, rest, and hydrate—because practicing what you preach sustains both you and your clients.
This journey can feel overwhelming, but step by step, it becomes possible. Build the foundation, stay curious, and never stop growing.
With respect and encouragement,
Catherine Garrow,
Unbound Minds, Owner & Practitioner
Leading the Future of Holistic Trauma Healing
- Adversity as Leadership Fuel: Personal challenges shaped Catherine’s empathetic, resilient approach to trauma care.
- Holistic Vision: Integrates therapy, neuroscience, and lifestyle strategies for transformative recovery.
- Sustainable Leadership: Mindfulness, self-care, and continuous learning maintain professional and personal balance.
- Collaborative Impact: Partnerships with schools and healthcare systems amplify trauma-informed practices.
- Culture-Driven Practice: Embeds authenticity, accountability, and empowerment into every client and team interaction.
