About Kara

Having started a yoga and meditation practice as a teenager, I was always interested in the connection between the body and mind and how we could use natural tools to improve our health. 

While studying psychology in San Francisco in the late 90's I began learning about the medicinal qualities of food, plants and herbs. I saw first hand how powerful the role of diet was in health. I was fascinated with how the tissues of the body held memories and traumatic experiences and in 2002, I became a licensed massage therapist, a reiki practitioner and a Sivananda Yoga Teacher. I taught yoga in studios and gyms and performed massage in chiropractic offices and in private homes. I became a certified aromatherapist and began using aromas in my yoga classes and massage sessions. I also began studying and working with local Shamans which offered many insights for healing. 

I moved to Hollywood, California and began apprenticing an ayurvedic yoga teacher, Mela Butcher.  I was inspired to learn more, so I went to India in 2004 for an advanced yoga teacher training and returned to the US to attend the California College of Ayurveda. I graduated in 2007 as a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist and Pancha Karma Specialist. 

As a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, I assisted clients in healing from various digestive aliments, cardiovascular problems, skin issues, mental health imbalances and other long-term chronic conditions. Part of this process was leading clients through the ancient purification process, Pancha Karma, and performing ancient Indian body therapies on them. I spent the summer of 2008 studying with Dr. Vasant Lad at the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico and returned to India to take part in Dr. Lad's Pune Gurukula program in his city and country clinic. 

While teaching yoga and working in my private practice in San Francisco,  I was also the staff practitioner at Safronya, an ayurvedic retreat in San Rafael, California. I then moved to the east coast and continued to teach yoga and practice ayurveda in Ulster County, New York. I became a teacher for the California College of Ayurveda's distance learning program and taught students from all over the world the foundational and clinical levels of the program. 

I desired more skills in mental health, so I returned to school and graduated with a Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling in 2014. I moved to Maryland and began working as a psychiatric counselor with individuals diagnosed with more challenging DSM diagnoses. I then began working at the Johns Hopkins Center for Addiction and Pregnancy as a mental health and addictions counselor. In addition to severe substance abuse issues most of our clients also suffered from complex trauma and co-occuring mental health disorders.  Because of my holistic background, awareness of the deep body-mind connection, and interest in trauma, I completed coursework and received a certification as a Clinical Trauma Professional and a Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional. I also received training to become certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is a very effective and evidence based practice for the healing of trauma. These are my favorite areas to study, work and to support others in their healing. I am also a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida, and provide telehealth counseling to residents of both Maryland and Florida. 

Woven through all of these experiences has been the pursuit of the knowledge of Jyotish - the astrological system of India. I began learning about it in the early 2000's and finished the first year of study at the American College of Vedic Astrology in 2009.  But, it wasn't until I began studying with my current teacher, Komilla Sutton, in 2019 that I began to be able to utilize this knowledge in a meaningful way. Having the additional tools to help understand a persons mind, tendencies and deep seated karmas has strengthened my ability to help others create balance and harmony in their lives. 

My favorite job is that of a student - I am always working on more education to increase my abilities to help us all address (myself included) the various traumas that impact our quality of life and the ways we can increase our contentment and ability to be present for our lives. 

Working with an individual and his or her consciousness is one of the great privileges of my life. I marvel at the power of the human spirit, it’s resilience and the desire to grow and evolve despite the harshness that this world can deliver at times. We are capable of so much change and of developing more happiness, peace and contentment if we are willing to do an honest self-appraisal and the work required to bring more balance. 

Using the skills of counseling psychology together with age-old Vedic principles relating to body and mind allows me to assist clients on their path to well-being. I also use these principles in my own life, as I am no stranger to physical or mental health challenges. Living as a human being is difficult. But there are things we can do that make it easier. 

If you are interested in the services I have to offer, I hope you will contact me. It would be a pleasure for me to assist you on the next phase of your healing journey.