Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Carpenter
Hi Kara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was in my 3rd year of college pursuing a degree in elementary education, I talked with a student in my 2nd grade placement who was telling me about how terrible her morning was. I was heartbroken for her, but because of my role and the importance of teaching certain skills so students pass tests, I could not spend much time chatting with her – we had to focus on math. I decided then to change my major to psychology and went on to get my master’s degree in counseling. After working for 10 years in community mental health and in schools, I decided to open my own private practice to practice counseling the way I thought it was best and most helpful to each person I worked with. After being open for two years, we now have 5 employees and numerous clients from all ages and backgrounds.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been an exciting but bumpy road to get here and there’s still so much to learn! I had always worked for other people, and in the mental health counseling world there are lots of laws and rules. Trying to figure out how to do things, start a business, what is allowed and what isn’t, what kind of paperwork I need, what bills I will have, etc. has been so challenging but quite exciting at the same time!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a small group of mental health therapists who work with kids from around age 5 all the way up through adulthood. We work a lot with people going through difficult changes in life, struggling with anxiety, and families going through divorce and learning to do life in a new way. The company was started to offer a different kind of counseling – not stiff and cold and unipersonal, but laid-back, helpful, and personalized for each person. I knew I wanted to start something different because what I was taught in school was a good framework, but it did not provide the client care I knew I wanted to give those who were brave enough to ask for help. As we have grown and added more therapists to the practice, it has been a goal to bring in people who care about the work they do and the people they get to help. We aim to build a strong therapeutic relationship that puts the client at ease and encourages them to really reach the goals and changes they are looking for.
Pricing:
- self-pay or insurance (Aenta, Anthem, Cigna, Optum, Oxford, UHC, UMR)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.carpentercounseling.org
- Instagram: carpentercounselinggroup
