Tompkins, Kate: - Kate Tompkins is a rather white-haired curmudgeon who has been around the block several times. In her 50 years as a therapist and adult educator, she has worked with many small communities in crisis, and helped create community support groups, peer counselling groups, local shelters and crisis support phone lines. She has taught counselling skills to frontline workers, such as nurses, social workers, addictions counsellors, supervisors and union reps; and runs on-line in-service courses for therapists. Kate is currently a Registered Counselling Therapist with a private practice in Nova Scotia, Canada; and an adult educator. She lives in a sleepy town with her two dogs, a sailboat and a penchant for musical theatre.