Kate Keisel is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of the Sanar Institute, a pioneering organization dedicated to providing transformative healing services for individuals and communities affected by interpersonal violence, with a particular emphasis on sexual violence and complex trauma. With over 19 years of experience in the field, Ms. Keisel has become a recognized authority on trauma-specific mental health treatment, psychological evaluations, and clinical interventions for individuals and communities impacted by interpersonal violence. Guided by a belief that healing is a human right, Ms. Keisel ensures that Sanar’s services are accessible to all individuals at no-cost to clients.
Under Ms. Keisel’s leadership, the Sanar Institute launched a Newark, New Jersey based Wellness Center in 2015 which offers holistic mental health and wellness services free of charge. In 2018, she expanded the organization’s reach through the Thrive Initiative’s training and education programs throughout the United States, community-based training Latin America, West Africa, and South Asia. Ms. Keisel also oversees diverse partnerships with government and civil society organizations to improve system responses and integrate best practices in trauma-conscious care for diverse communities with a focus on all forms of human trafficking, sexual violence, and image based sexual abuse.
A passionate advocate for systemic change, Ms. Keisel combines lived experience with an academic and clinical foundation to create trauma-conscious services that foster healing, resilience, and empowerment. Her leadership is rooted in an anti-racist, anti-oppressive framework that recognizes the importance of community-driven, person-centered care. With a career grounded in the intersection of human rights and trauma healing, Ms. Keisel continues to drive Sanar’s mission to provide compassionate, evidence-based healing and training for trauma exposed and impacted spaces.