Cara Carleton
Cara Carleton
(she/her)
Are you wondering if your drug or alcohol use is becoming a problem? Or maybe you know it is, but feel powerless to stop. Perhaps your struggle looks different—binge eating, compulsive spending, sabotaging your success at work or in relationships. These self-destructive patterns can take many forms, but they often have one thing in common: they feel automatic, inescapable, and deeply frustrating. These behaviors may seem like choices, but they often serve a hidden purpose—keeping you safe in the familiar, avoiding painful emotions, or preserving a status quo that no longer serves you. Over time, they can trap you in cycles of shame, regret, and hopelessness.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
My work focuses on substance use and other forms of self-sabotage, through a lens that is compassionate, collaborative, and flexible. Whether you’re struggling with alcohol, drugs, food, spending, or another pattern that’s getting in your way, I’m here to help you identify what’s beneath it—and gently shift toward something healthier.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My natural ability to tune into my clients' needs and understand their unique experiences sets me apart from others in my field. Some of my strengths include my ability to facilitate motivation and readiness for change, my knowledge of and nonjudgmental approach to addictive behaviors, and my capacity to draw upon each client’s innate strengths. It is a privilege to be trusted with people’s innermost thoughts and feelings; as such, I approach therapeutic relationships from a place of genuine care.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I specialize in helping people break free from addictive and compulsive behaviors. In our work together, we will take a deeper dive into the root of those behaviors. We will simultaneously implement behavioral strategies that allow you to take control of your actions and live according to your ideals.
About Cara Carleton
I identify as
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I draw upon a combination of therapeutic techniques to customize an approach that is slightly different for all of my clients. I often use CBT to prompt clients to identify the thoughts and beliefs that are perpetuating the behavior they want to change.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing is a conversational style that enhances and activates a client's internal motivation. It prioritizes client autonomy and working through ambivalence, or the conflicting feelings of wanting change and wanting to protect the status quo.
Interpersonal
Grounded in my training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, I seek to understand the root causes for addictive behavior while applying behavioral techniques to affect immediate, profound change. My approach is interpersonal above all else as research shows that the quality of the relationship between a client and therapist is the most important factor in positive therapeutic outcomes.