(she/her)
New to Grow
Hi there! I'm Kara, I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) living and working in Philadelphia. I’m passionate about helping individuals navigate life’s challenges with greater clarity, resilience, and self-understanding. I’ve worked across varying levels of care (partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient) supporting both adolescents and adults experiencing mental health concerns. My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and tailored to each person I work with. I integrate a variety of therapeutic modalities to meet your unique needs, while often drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to provide practical, effective tools for managing emotions, navigating stress, and creating meaningful change.
In your first session, you can expect a warm, welcoming, and nonjudgmental space where you’re invited to share your story at your own pace. Many clients come in feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of what’s next. That’s okay! This first meeting is about helping you feel seen, supported, and understood as we begin to explore what’s bringing you to therapy. Together, we’ll begin identifying your goals and what meaningful change might look like for you.
During all therapy sessions with me, we will embrace concepts like curiosity, humor, compassion, and showing up as our authentic selves (yes, both of us!). As we work together, I promise to challenge you in ways that support your goals and are grounded in a strong understanding of your story. I deeply believe in each person’s capacity for change and draw from a range of approaches (read more below!) to foster both empowering and sustainable growth.
I am here for the client that is ready to make a change. Maybe you are struggling with anxiety, depression, mood swings, relationship challenges, or a major life transition. Maybe you just know you really need a space to talk about that daily stress in your life. No matter your reason for showing up, you are eager to jump into this collaborative process - and so am I!
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I utilize my training in DBT to teach clients skills to manage intense emotions, cope with challenging situations, improve their relationships, and cultivate their "life worth living." I integrate DBT-based techniques with many of my clients and have found clients who have a history of self-harm, suicidal ideation, and/or interpersonal conflict respond especially well to this evidence-based approach.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
My advanced CBT training is foundational in my work with clients. CBT is a structured, goal-oriented type of talk therapy that focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. I integrate evidence-based CBT techniques to help clients identify and challenge negative patterns and build a foundational set of coping skills.
Trauma Informed Care
With every client I work with, I utilize the principles of trauma-informed care and focus on building feelings of safety, trustworthiness, support, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural humility within sessions.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I believe deeply in everyone's innate drive toward growth, fulfillment, and positive psychological functioning. This means I view YOU as the expert when it comes to your lived experiences. I am here to provide a nonjudgmental, authentic, and supportive space for your growth.