Kara Anderson , LPCC, LMHC

Kara Anderson is a seasoned mental health counselor with nearly three decades of clinical experience, offering a compassionate and skillful approach to therapy. She began her counseling career in Florida in 1994 as a residential therapist in a psychiatric hospital and later served as an outpatient therapist, clinical supervisor, and program director at a substance abuse treatment agency. In 2001 she relocated to Ohio and spent 13 years working as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor - Supervisor, program manager, and program administrator for a mental and behavioral health nonprofit. She returned to Florida in 2014 and expanded her practice to include online services; she has provided remote care for over eight years and notes positive feedback from clients about that mode of treatment.

Kara holds LPCC and LMHC credentials, indicating professional licensure in clinical and mental health counseling. Her clinical philosophy is humanistic, with a strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship as the foundation for change. Her style is warm, interactive, attentive, and compassionate, grounded in genuineness, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. When appropriate, she uses a more direct and structured approach and may assign therapeutic tasks between sessions to support progress. She tailors pacing and interventions to each person's needs while encouraging forward movement toward identified goals.

Education underpins her practice: a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Miami, a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Nova Southeastern University of Fort Lauderdale, and post-graduate coursework in career counseling and the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of mental disorders at the University of Dayton in Bexley, Ohio. She values ongoing professional development through seminars, reading, and additional training. Her clinical experience spans diverse populations and settings, and she specializes in work with depression, anxiety, stress, substance abuse and addiction, trauma and abuse, and grief and loss. She also has extensive experience addressing LGBT concerns, relationship and family issues, intimacy and parenting difficulties, anger, self-esteem, career challenges, compassion fatigue, and related areas.

Therapeutic Approaches Guiding Online Care

Kara Anderson draws on client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to shape online treatment in ways that fit each person's needs. Client-centered therapy focuses on building a trusting, nonjudgmental relationship so that clients feel heard and supported while exploring goals and values; it is useful for improving self-understanding and relational concerns. CBT emphasizes identifying patterns of thought and behavior that contribute to distress and teaches practical skills to reframe thinking and change habits; it is often applied to anxiety, depression, and stress management. DBT teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness skills to help people manage intense emotions and improve relationships.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Kara works together with each client to assess needs, preferences, and goals, then tailors techniques and pacing so the plan feels manageable and relevant. The therapist regularly reviews progress and adjusts strategies as needed.

Online therapy with Kara is delivered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules and for those who cannot attend in person. These formats make consistent care more accessible and allow licensed professionals and therapists to provide ongoing support across different life circumstances.