Hi! I am Kara, one of the therapists at Maple Grove Therapy and Wellness.
I am who I am; I have the ability to bring energy into sessions when needed, I will also hold your feet to fire when needed. Although it took me 30 years to be ok with sitting with my emotions, I know the value of acknowledging your emotions and accepting yourself as you are, therefore, I incorporate these practices into my therapeutic framework…I hope we’re able to accomplish this in a much shorter time span. I can provide a space for you to develop healthy strategies to cope with daily stressors, increase trust that you can manage difficult emotions, and work through past events that have kept you feeling stuck.
I specialize in working with individuals who’ve experienced trauma, behavioral dysregulation, substance use, and unhealthy interpersonal relationship patterns that may present in PTSD, Anxiety, ADHD, and substance use disorders. My approach to therapy is grounded in trauma, attachment, and person-centered approaches; I utilize a variety of therapeutic approaches, however, primarily incorporated in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). I have additional training in various EMDR protocols including preverbal/attachment trauma, EMDR to address shame, dissociation, and unhelpful defenses; and using EMDR to lessen triggers and urges associated with addiction.
I received my Masters in Integrated Behavioral Health at the University of Minnesota and I am currently a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC) with clinical experience working with children (6+), adolescents, and adults in a variety of settings since 2014.
As you can see, I can be all over the place and may ramble from time to time, however, there is always a purpose in what I do and say, even if that purpose evolves throughout the process, we will eventually get to the point. I look forward to meeting you!