Kara Collins

You can understand exactly why you feel the way you do and still struggle to change how you feel. Anxiety, trauma, grief, and patterns rooted in the past don't always disappear simply because you've gained insight or worked hard to move forward. Sometimes, healing requires more than understanding why something hurts. It means finding a way to move through it so the past no longer has the same hold on your present. As a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified EMDR Therapist, I help individuals work through difficult emotions, process painful experiences, and create meaningful, lasting change. Counseling is my second career, following a background in science and years as a writer. These experiences shape the way I approach therapy, bringing curiosity, thoughtful exploration, and a deep appreciation for the complexity of each person's story. I offer a judgment-free space for people of all identities and relationship structures. I am affirming, sex-positive, and kink-aware, and I work comfortably with clients in polyamorous and ethically non-monogamous relationships. You won’t have to educate me or edit yourself to be understood here. People often come to me during seasons of transition: after loss, at a crossroads in a relationship or career, or when old patterns start costing more than they once protected. I believe that people generally know what they need. If you’re ready for the past to loosen its grip on your present, I’d welcome the chance to talk about what you’re looking for in therapy.

I work with adults using Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) to achieve specific goals. EMDR is a trauma therapy that doesn't require you to say the worst things out loud. ACT is less about arguing with difficult thoughts and feelings, and more about loosening their grip so that you can move toward things that actually matter. And MI is for the part of you that wants to change and the part that isn't sure - both are usually present and both have a purpose.

The first session is mostly me getting to know you and you getting a feel for whether I'm the right fit. You will find me fascinated by the science, curious about your unique experience, direct about what I notice and more interested in a real conversation than a completed worksheet. I'll ask about what brought you to therapy, what you've already tried and what your life looks like outside of the problem. You don't have to have it all figured out and you don't have to tell me anything you're not ready to tell me. We'll decide on one or two things that you want to be different. Most people leave the first session with a direction we'll be working towards rather than homework.