Dr. Llena Carter

My name is Dr. Llena Carter. I am originally from the southside of Chicago. I have lived in four different states and traveled to over 40; including teaching/traveling abroad for multiple summers. I have been a therapist for over 20 years and have a breadth of experience. I see therapy as a sacred space where trust and nonjudgment are essential. I am specifically passionate about providing support for persons of color and oppressed populations where therapy may be otherwise stigmatized. I would be honored to walk, even a small part of your journey, with you.

In my 20-plus years of clinical experience, I have worked with individuals, families as well as with couples and groups. My experience has stemmed from a variety of settings including domestic violence shelters, psychiatric units, juvenile detention centers, college campuses and private practice. Consulting work has included Suicide Prevention, DEI trainings, Intergroup Dialogue, and Groups geared toward de-stigmatizing mental wellness for communities of color. All are welcome here.

I am nurturing, yet direct in my approach and see working towards tangible change as important. Therapy in my office is always client led coupled with some therapist guided cognitive changes to approaching problems and setting concrete goals.

Patients will leave our work together with skills on improving distress tolerance and emotional literacy. I am trained in CBT, DBT, brain spotting, and EMDR, with CBT and schema therapy as my primary modalities.