About Cates Counseling and Consulting PLLC
From Survivor to Specialist
With over 25 years of clinical experience and a Doctorate in Forensic Psychology with a concentration in Victimology, Dr. Nzinga Cates, LCMHC, brings both advanced expertise and lived insight to her work in mental health counseling. As a survivor of narcissistic abuse, she understands not only the clinical dynamics but also the lived reality of breaking free from such trauma.
She is also the author of What Happens in This House, a powerful and personal account of growing up with narcissistic parents and beginning the journey of healing. Her book offers insight and validation for those in the early stages of understanding their experiences and reclaiming their voice.
Dr. Nzinga Cates provides focused, compassionate therapy, coaching, and consulting for individuals navigating narcissistic and high-conflict relationships—whether involving a parent, partner, family system, or work conflict. Her approach incorporates trauma-informed therapy that is direct, strategic, and empowering, helping clients move from confusion to clarity, rebuild self-trust, and take control of their lives.
This is more than support—it’s a path forward grounded in both expertise and personal experience.
What Dr. Cates Believes
- Philosophy of Care
Every clinical decision, every session structure, and every word spoken at Cates Counseling & Consulting is grounded in a clear set of core beliefs—about healing, about human resilience, and about what survivors of narcissistic abuse truly need to recover and move forward.
These are not abstract ideas or surface-level values. They are intentional, lived commitments that guide how Dr. Nzinga Cates approaches every interaction—with clarity, integrity, and purpose. This work recognizes that survivors often come in feeling confused, invalidated, and disconnected from their own sense of reality. As a result, each session is designed not just to provide support through mental health counseling, but to restore clarity, rebuild self-trust, and create meaningful, lasting change.
Dr. Nzinga Cates integrates both clinical expertise and lived experience to ensure that clients are not only understood—but accurately seen. This means moving beyond generic approaches and focusing on the specific dynamics of manipulation, coercive control, and high-conflict relationships that many clients have endured.
The work is direct, thoughtful, and grounded in respect for each client’s capacity to grow. It honors your experiences without reinforcing helplessness, and it challenges patterns without judgment.
At its core, this approach is about helping you make sense of what you’ve been through, reconnect with your own voice, and move forward with clarity, confidence, and control.
This is not just support—it is a structured, intentional path toward understanding, healing, and transformation through trauma-informed therapy.
