Hi!

My name is Kari ☺️

I was born and raised in Greeley, Colorado, in a big family with four brothers and four sisters. I grew up in a deeply religious household and was homeschooled (or, more accurately, "unschooled") until I was 14 years old. After that, I attended Frontier Academy, where I played soccer, worked behind the scenes in theater production, and graduated with the school's very first senior class.

Looking back, I realize that my childhood gave me a unique perspective on people, families, and the many different ways we experience the world. It's one of the reasons I'm especially passionate about working with people who have experienced neglect, abuse, trauma, foster care, adoption, religious questions/trauma, or simply feel like they don't quite fit in.

During college at the University of Northern Colorado, I worked in healthcare, early childhood education, and homeless services before joining GOAL High School in 2011. GOAL turned into career I genuinely love. For the past fifteen years, I've been working alongside high-risk teens, young adults, and their families as they navigate very challenging parts of their lives.

One of my favorite parts of this work is helping young people reconnect with their future and catch a vision for who they want to be.

I believe people are capable of remarkable growth when they have someone who sees their strengths, helps them make sense of their experiences, and walks beside them without judgment.

My husband and I are also a foster and adoptive family. We adopted our daughter when she was 17 years old. At the time, she was the mother of a two-year-old who was also in foster care. Being reunified as a family in 2021 has been a huge privilege and a big responsibility. That experience has given me a deep appreciation for the complexity, resilience, and hope that exist within foster and adoptive families.

When I'm not working, you'll probably find me working on a DIY project, wandering through a thrift store, hanging out with our dogs, or prioritizing a nap. 💤☕🐕

Practical Support

Life can be incredibly hard. One of the most important survival skills I know is intentionally adding as many good things to your life as possible. Walks. Music. Pets. Good food. Sunsets. Art. Comfortable clothes. Meaningful work. Friends who make you laugh. Projects that give you purpose. We can't eliminate every hardship, but we can build lives that contain more and more things worth looking forward to.
I also believe that some of the most important work in therapy happens outside the therapy office. Insight is valuable, but it's even more valuable when it changes your everyday life.
As both a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Licensed School Social Worker, I've spent years helping people navigate the messy, practical realities of life: arguments, breakups, relapses, parenting challenges, difficult family gatherings, workplace conflict, school problems, financial stress, and confusing systems. Sometimes what people need isn't just someone to listen—they need help solving problems, connecting with resources, building new skills, or finding a path forward.

What do I want you to know about therapy?

Safety, Autonomy, & Respect

I believe every person deserves places—and people—where they can be honest about their thoughts, emotions, fears, and struggles while still being seen as completely capable, intelligent, and worthy of respect. That's the kind of therapeutic relationship I hope to offer.
Therapy isn't about getting you to think like I do or follow my "style." My education, clinical experience, and professional judgment are valuable, but they are only one part of the conversation. Your experiences, your values, and your goals matter just as much. The best therapy happens when we work together.
You are the only person who lives your life 24 hours a day. I can offer perspective, ask difficult questions, share what research tells us, and help you understand patterns you may not have noticed. But I don't get to decide what kind of life you should build. You do. My role is to help you make thoughtful, informed choices that align with your own values and the future you want for yourself.
I also believe that every client teaches me something. Every person who walks into my office has lived a life I could never fully understand. You have experiences, strengths, ideas, and perspectives that I don't have, and I consider it a privilege to learn from them. Therapy is at its best when there is curiosity, humility, and mutual respect on both sides of the room.

Life is expensive. Relationships are complicated. Systems can be frustrating. You shouldn't have to figure it all out alone.

Who do I like working with?

All sorts of people!

Trauma

Many of the people I work with have been through experiences that overwhelmed their ability to cope. Sometimes it's a single life-changing event—an assault, a serious accident, or the sudden loss of someone they love. Other times it's years of smaller things that quietly pile up: growing up in chaos, never feeling safe, being bullied, living with constant stress, or always having to be the strong one. Our minds and bodies adapt to survive these experiences, but those survival strategies can eventually become exhausting or prevvent us from growing in ways we need to. Anxiety, depression, racing thoughts, trouble sleeping, relationship difficulties, panic, substance use, eating disorders, or simply feeling disconnected are often signs that your nervous system has been carrying too much for too long.

Foster Care, Adoptees, and Adoptive Parents

I have a special place in my heart for people whose lives have been touched by foster care and adoption. I love seeing former foster youth exceed expectations, discover their strengths, and contribute their unique perspectives and talents to the world. Many adoptees wrestle with questions of identity, belonging, loyalty, and balancing different parts of their story. Foster and adoptive parents often carry enormous love alongside isolation, disappointment, grief, fear, or uncertainty. Wherever you find yourself in that journey, it's an honor to walk alongside you with curiosity, compassion, and practical support.

Kids & Teens

I have a soft spot for the quiet, unsure kids, but I also genuinely enjoy the outspoken, strong-willed, skeptical kids and teens who challenge everything and don't trust peoples motives. These are both ways that young people learn to protect themselves. Whether a child whispers or argues, shuts down or pushes back, I'm interested in understanding what's underneath those behaviors—not judging them for having them.

Young Adults

I love working with emerging adults. Almost overnight, you're expected to make decisions, manage responsibilities, build healthy relationships, and figure out who you want to become. For many young adults—especially those who grew up with trauma, instability, or limited support—there isn't always someone to teach those skills. Together, we can slow things down, make sense of what's happening, and build the confidence and tools you need to move into adulthood on your own terms.

ADHD & Autism

I love working with neurodivergent children, teens, and adults who are trying to figure out how they fit into a world that wasn't always designed for the way their brains work. Together, we'll build practical strategies that help you "anticipate yourself"—understanding your patterns, planning around your challenges, and leaning into your strengths so life feels less exhausting and more successful. As someone who also has ADHD, this work is especially meaningful to me. I know that the goal isn't to become someone different; it's to create a life that works with your brain instead of constantly fighting against it.

Religious Trauma and Exploration

I also enjoy working with people who are exploring questions about faith, religion, and spirituality. Whether you're questioning beliefs you grew up with, processing painful experiences within a faith community, rebuilding your relationship with spirituality, or finding that your beliefs are changing over time, therapy can be a place to sort through those questions without fear of judgment or pressure. I don't have a secret agenda or an outcome I'm hoping you'll reach. My role is simply to help you explore your experiences, understand what's important to you, and build a future that aligns with your own values.

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