About Kara
Kara Denahan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in Rhode Island with 23 years of clinical experience. She provides therapy to individuals and draws on a long professional path shaped by study, practice, and personal exploration.
Kara began in a different field, earning a Bachelor of Science in Design with a specialty in photography before returning to school to complete a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Rhode Island in 1997.
Background and approach
After several years working in other settings she opened her own practice, where she has continued to develop her approach. Over time Kara added mindfulness practice to her work after studying teachings from Thich Nhat Hanh and joining a meditation group. Mindfulness and meditation became tools she uses to help people manage stress and stay grounded during change.
She later studied Internal Family Systems and completed foundational levels of that model, which looks at how different parts of a person interact and how greater self-acceptance can ease internal conflict. More recently Kara has explored ideas from Polyvagal Theory and interpersonal neurobiology to better understand how the nervous system and attachment shape everyday struggles.
Kara helps people who are coping with anxiety, stress, relationship concerns, trauma and other life challenges. Her style is calm and collaborative: she listens, reflects what she hears, and offers concrete tools - such as mindfulness exercises and cognitive strategies - to help people act differently in their lives.
She works with individual adults facing issues like depression, grief, addiction, ADHD, intimacy questions, parenting strain, and career stress. Sessions focus on practical steps, clearer communication, and developing steadier emotional balance over time.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online sessions
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how past relationships shape current patterns. It helps people notice how they seek connection and how to build steadier, more supported ways of relating to others.Client-Centered Therapy centers on listening and understanding. The therapist follows the person's lead, reflecting feelings and helping people find their own solutions to stress, anxiety, and life transitions.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It offers practical exercises to change unhelpful thinking and to develop new coping habits for anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to identify goals, try different techniques, and adjust the plan based on what helps most. That shared process makes it easier to know when to use mindfulness, parts work, or cognitive tools.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls allow for face-to-face conversation when a full session is helpful. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit a break during a busy day. Live chat and text-based messaging support shorter check-ins, note-taking, and ongoing reflection between sessions. These options let people fit therapy into real life while working on their goals.
Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns can be addressed in sessions?
How would you describe the therapy style?
What is her clinical background and experience?
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
Which languages are used in sessions?
Can international clients work with her?
What session formats are available online?
How do fees and scheduling work?
What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 23 years
- Licensed
- Rhode Island
- Languages
- English
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.