Meet Dr. Kimmie Walton
My primary goal is to create a safe, supportive space for you to discover your strengths, develop skills to face challenges, and think more flexibly, all while creating a life that is more in line with your values. I believe a strong, collaborative, and trusting therapeutic relationship is an important catalyst for exploring past experiences and gaining insight into your current thinking and behavioral patterns. I am committed to providing individualized care and empowering you as we develop new ways of thinking and interacting. I am honored to hold space for your story and excited to help you write a new chapter, filled with growth and lasting change.
Specialties
· Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
· Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
· Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
· Prolonged Exposure (PE)
· Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Therapeutic Approach and Specialization
Dr. Walton, Psy.D., received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Appalachian State University. She specializes in working with adults and young adults (17+) struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD and trauma related symptoms, adjustment disorders, emotional regulation, and interpersonal challenges. She adopts a client-centered, strengths-based approach, artfully integrating many evidence-based therapies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE).
Dr. Walton believes that early life experiences shape negative core beliefs about the self, others, and the world. These rigid, unhelpful beliefs often drive current patterns of thinking and behavior. She challenges clients to address the root of these core beliefs to develop more accurate, adaptive, and flexible ways of thinking and behaving. By discussing formative early events and providing evidence-based skills, the focus is on increasing cognitive flexibility. This process leads to meaningful change across all areas of functioning, including relationships, work, and self-esteem.
Dr. Walton is passionate about implementing the ACT-based focus on values. She operates from the belief that many symptoms arise when an individual's life feels disconnected from what they value most. She works collaboratively with her clients to align their treatment goals with their core values in order to increase motivation and reach lasting change. Dr. Walton embraces a strengths-based approach, exploring and incorporating the client's existing skills into the treatment plan to build confidence and self-esteem. Dr. Walton sees herself as a "cheerleader" for her clients, enthusiastically rooting for their success in achieving meaningful, values-aligned growth.
Dr. Walton is particularly passionate about serving women healing from trauma. Her approach integrates elements of Judith Herman’s Three-Stage Trauma Recovery Model and Prolonged Exposure. She believes in first achieving safety and stabilization by developing and strengthening appropriate coping skills to manage immediate trauma symptoms. Once an individual has developed consistent coping skills, Dr. Walton applies exposure-based techniques to safely and supportively facilitate the processing of traumatic experiences within an empowering environment.
Lasting Change for Individuals
Dr. Walton believes the therapeutic alliance plays a pivotal role in a client achieving meaningful, sustained change. She adopts a warm, supportive, and collaborative approach, inviting clients to provide input and feedback throughout the therapeutic process. She frequently checks in to assess progress toward goals and demonstrates a willingness to be flexible and adaptive with interventions to best meet individual needs. This development of a strong, trusting allianceallows for deeper reflection and the necessary challenge to negative core beliefs and maladaptive patterns. When trust and challenging reflection are paired with the development of more adaptive skills, the result is the achievement of durable, lasting change.
Are you ready to make a change in your life?
Education and Training
Dr. Walton received her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Appalachian State University. Dr. Walton has her Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology from The George Washington University. She completed her APA accredited pre-doctoral internship at a women’s prison within the Minnesota Department of Corrections in Shakopee, MN. Throughout her training, she has served diverse populations in a variety of settings, including college counseling centers, community-based practices, inpatient hospitals, and correctional facilities. She has received training in several evidence-based modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). Her most recent training experiences focused on serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), as well as providing individual and group therapy for women healing from trauma. Dr. Walton also has experience assessing individuals for PTSD and other DSM-5-TR diagnoses through her previous role in a Duke University research lab. Dr. Walton’s extensive clinical training and experience working with individuals diagnosed with SPMI provide her with a unique skillset and ability to work with a wide range of presenting concerns, including anxiety and mood disorders, PTSD and trauma-related concerns, interpersonal difficulties, and adjustment disorders.