Cara (she/her) is an outpatient psychotherapist at Three Oaks Behavioral Health and Wellness at the Midtown Raleigh location and offers sessions both in-person and virtually. 

Cara received her B.A. and M.A. in American History at North Carolina State University where her research focused on Black and Indigenous students’ resilience and retention of identity and culture while navigating traumatic (educational) environments. She received her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at North Carolina Central University where her academic scholarship focused on sibling loss, continuing bonds, and clinical interventions to address Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) in bereaved siblings. She trained under the practitioner-scholar model. As a practitioner, she values the learning that comes through direct service experiences and self-reflection. As a scholar, she recognizes the importance of theory, research, intentionality, and critical thinking. 

With extensive experience in the field of thanatology, Cara is passionate about supporting clients with presenting concerns around grief, death, dying, chronic sorrow, death and non-death loss (ie: death loss can include the death a beloved person or beloved companion animal; non-death loss can include the loss of a valued relationship or a major life transition). In addition to her companioning with clients during their grief journeys, Cara supports clients with a wide range of presenting concerns including: anxiety; depression; stress; coping with chronic illness, disability, and chronic pain; compassion fatigue; sex; self-esteem; body image and eating concerns; and relationship challenges. 

Cara’s therapeutic orientation is trauma-informed, person-centered, and solution / resolution-focused. She believes the client is the expert of their experience, and this is a collaborative journey. Cara will draw on various modalities to suit each client’s needs and growth – with an emphasis on somatic therapies, Solution-focused therapy, mindfulness, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and expressive arts. She is particularly drawn to humanistic therapies, Existential Theory, and somatic therapies because they are modalities that contribute to accessibility in the therapeutic process for diverse populations.

By taking a client-centered approach, Cara hopes to create a safer space for clients to feel, discuss, and work through their lived experiences – positive, neutral, and challenging.

cara@threeoaksbehavioralhealth.com