InStride Health Clinician Kate Surette Co-Authors ADAA Blog on Mentorship in Anxiety & OCD Care

InStride Health is proud to share that Kate Surette, LCSW, an associate-level child and adolescent therapist at InStride, has co-authored a new blog for the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA). The piece, "Two Sides of the CDLP: What a First-Time Mentor and a New Clinician Learned Together," was written with her mentor, Stephnie Thomas, LCPC, and published on ADAA's From the Experts blog.

The blog reflects on the pair's shared experience in ADAA's Alies Muskin Career Development Leadership Program (CDLP), a prestigious program that connects promising early-career clinicians and researchers with accomplished leaders in the field for a day of intensive mentorship and professional development at the annual ADAA conference. Kate and Stephnie were matched as mentee and mentor at ADAA 2026 in Chicago.

Told from both perspectives, the piece offers an honest look at what mentorship can mean at either end of a career. Kate writes about walking into the room barely a year into her clinical practice, working through her imposter syndrome, and leaving with new confidence, a wider network of peers, and a stronger drive to grow as a clinician and leader. Stephnie shares what it was like to mentor for the first time and how much she took away from the experience herself. Together, they describe how a single day of programming turned into a lasting professional friendship built on connection, encouragement, and ongoing learning.

Kate holds a Master of Social Work from Tulane University and provides specialized OCD and anxiety care to children, adolescents, young adults, and families at InStride Health. Her contribution to this blog reflects InStride's commitment to developing thoughtful, compassionate clinicians who are shaping the future of anxiety and OCD treatment.

Read the full blog on ADAA's website: Two Sides of the CDLP: What a First-Time Mentor and a New Clinician Learned Together →