Kara Phelan
Hi, I’m Kara
"Our deepest yearning and greatest vulnerability is to be fully seen, fully known, and fully loved exactly as we are"
Focus Area:
- Women
- Men
- Teens
- Relationships
- Trauma
- Spiritual formation
- Life transitions
Get to know Kara:
As a therapist, I believe it is a privilege each and every time a client invites me into their most vulnerable moments. Their hurt and struggles. The parts that they are proud of, and the parts that they hide away from most of the world.
This work makes me so aware of human resilience and the reality of common humanity i.e. that we are all a work in progress.
My hope is to create a space for you that is comfortable, non-judgemental, openly reflective, and real. It is amazing to me how often new clients disclose their nervousness upon our first session, and by the end of the hour confidently state how thankful they are that they came. This is the power of a safe, well-fitting therapeutic relationship.
I draw from therapy models such as Satir Transformational Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, and attachment theory. I strive to work with clients in such a way as to provide them with a new therapeutic experience of themselves, which they can then take with them into the other contexts of their lives. I also come from a trauma-informed perspective, and often integrate body-based awareness with emotional processing.
What to expect:
As I partner with clients in the work of therapy, I come as a companion. I am not the authority or expert on what is best for you, but play the role as mirror and gentle guide, in order for you to become more of your authentic self. I help you to lean into what has previously been too challenging to look at alone, and by “undoing the aloneness” of the most wounding moments of our lives, we find the ability to heal in new ways.
Education and training:
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor, and hold a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family therapy. Therefore, I understand that we live our lives within the context of relational systems, and I take these wider contexts into consideration when working with individuals. I see every client as a whole being; body, mind, soul, spirit, and relationships, and by addressing these different areas of the Self, it is my firm belief that growth, healing, and positive change is possible for every person.
