MEET THE TEAM
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Kara Bolling, LCSW-C
CLINICAL DIRECTOR + STEWARD
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Carla Paisley, LMSW
THERAPIST
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Erin Bowman, LCPC
THERAPIST
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Sarah Adams
MSW INTERN
A little bit about Kara.
I’m an affirming, inclusive, and intuitive therapist who believes you can cultivate greater satisfaction in your life and relationships by mindfully uncovering your unmet needs and by practicing how to get them met. In therapy, I work with adults and young adults from a somatic perspective, which means we look to the body as a primary source of wisdom. Our bodies know what we need before we do. I can help you learn how to tap in to your body’s innate wisdom. It’s also important to me to look at how each of my clients is impacted by systems — for example, the family system, educational systems, economic systems, and systems of oppression. These systems shape who you are, how you function and how you feel, and I’m here for it.
Another aspect of my work is to support pregnant mental health and wellness professionals as they balance the sometimes competing demands of body, baby, and business. I offer this support through my book, The Therapist’s Guide to Being Pregnant: A planner, timeline, and guide for therapist parents-to-be, and through consultations. As a registered Clinical Supervisor in Maryland, I provide affordable supervision for Social Workers. I identify as a fun-loving, empathetic, outspoken, cisgendered white woman.
KARA’s APPROACH TO therapy
Somatic Psychotherapy
This treatment modality looks to the body as a primary source of information about current relational and psychological functioning. It’s a collaborative approach that uses mindfulness to help clients understand how their thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and body responses are adaptations to their lived experiences, and to help clients find their own unique strategies for coping and healing. This modality is helpful for clients who have experienced trauma, who have been hurt in past relationships, and who are struggling in current relationships with themselves and others.
Clinical supervision
I’m licensed as a Clinical Supervisor in the State of Maryland, providing affordable clinical supervision for LMSWs working toward advanced licensure.
EDUCATION + TRAINING
I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from Elon University in North Carolina in 2003 and a Master of Social Work from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in 2006. I’ve been a licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2008 and began my psychotherapy practice in 2011. My professional background includes work in foster care and adoptions, community-based residential treatment for teens, and outpatient mental health. I began training in a somatic psychotherapy modality called Sensorimotor Psychotherapy in 2012, have completed Levels 1 + 2, and I’ve participated as a training assistant.
Kara wrote and self-published a book for therapists in February 2020. The Therapist’s Guide to Being Pregnant is a fun and quick read for the busy professional who is growing more than just a practice.
Support for Therapists
A little bit about CARLA.
I bring a wealth of professional and life experience to the practice of therapy, drawing upon a robust professional background in justice and advocacy, along with personal experiences as a parent and confidant to five young adults. I am an observant, patient, and compassionate therapist. I want to help you uncover how you feel and see the connection between your feelings and behaviors. The way I offer therapy is a natural extension of my personal philosophies - that people are worthy of empowerment, support, encouragement, and self-awareness and discovery. We all have capacity for emotional health, for deep understanding, and for meaningful engagement with others.
I work with teens and adults who are experiencing challenging family and interpersonal dynamics, whose needs and identities are being or have been marginalized, and who have experienced trauma. I work with parents to uncover and support the challenges of parenthood in all of its phases. Social justice and advocacy are deeply important to me. Instead of telling you what I think is best for you, my role is to help you discover the resiliency that is already within.
CARLA’s APPROACH TO therapy
Therapy that is holistic and relational
I have an eclectic approach to the practice of therapy, as most therapists do. It’s important to me to understand the family system you grew up in and how it has and is still impacting you. It’s important to me to help my clients understand the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and actions in the world. It’s also important to me to help my clients understand the impact of society on the roles they take on in their lives and to examine how they truly wish to be in the world. Lastly, and most importantly, I provide trauma-informed care, a therapy that is sensitive to your needs, patient, considerate, and empowering.
EDUCATION + TRAINING
I earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Family Studies from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1996 and a Master of Social Work from Chamberlain University in 2021. I am a licensed Masters Social Worker. My professional background includes work as a consultant, peer counselor, advocate, educator, mentor and liaison and engagement specialist. I am educated in public health, social work, family studies, child development, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and trauma-informed intervention.
A little bit about Erin.
My approach is gentle, authentic, LGBTQIA+ affirming, grounded in principles of anti-racism and intersectionality, a Health At Every Size approach to wellness, and the body’s wisdom. I work with adults to help them break intergenerational cycles. I want to help you slow down and learn to trust yourself, so that you can show up authentically in the relationships that matter.
My clients first arrive at therapy feeling out of sync. Maybe you see yourself parenting in ways you vowed to not parent, or you’re realizing patterns in your romantic relationship(s) and friendships that you’ve wanted to leave behind, or you’re feeling confused about being true to yourself in a workplace that is supposed to be aligned with your values. Whether you’re arriving at therapy for the first time or returning to therapy during a new chapter in your life, your nervous system is doing its best to respond to the world around you and to protect you. And, because you’re a human and being a human is complicated, the way your nervous system is responding may not feel in line with your values. In reaction to the way you’re showing up right now, you may find yourself swimming in guilt and shame. This is where I can be of help. Let’s work together to interrupt those spirals and work towards deep, transformational healing. When therapy is complete, you’ll have deepened self-awareness that allows you to make more conscious choices about what you want for yourself – at work and at home.
Erin’s APPROACH TO therapy
Centering your nervous system + your Values
The magic of therapy happens in two parts: the theory and the relationship. The theories that I draw heavily on are Polyvagal theory, Internal Family Systems, ACT, and Feminist Therapy. This means I’m curious about where you’re feeling stuck with thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships. We acknowledge the power in the ways you have found to survive. We explore how systems of power and oppression may be impacting you. We spend time with your nervous system, creating space for your body to let you know what you want and need in this new season of your journey. We move slowly, ensuring that we’re building trust, and moving at a pace that feels okay for all parts of you.
More important than any theory or technique, the relationship between the therapist and client is what enables the deepest work. It’s important to me that you feel truly seen and understood; you want a therapist who “gets” you. I am also not going to be a totally blank slate– I want to laugh with you (yes, breaking intergenerational cycles in spite of late stage capitalism is serious work, and yes, laughter continues to be medicine), I’m going to swear, and I’m going to come up with some weird metaphors that support you in seeing your experience more clearly.
EDUCATION + TRAINING
I earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy from Loyola University Maryland in 2010 and a Master of Science in Applied Psychology from University of Baltimore in 2020. My professional background includes work in nonprofits, education, and community organizations. I have training in trauma informed care and dissociation.
I enjoy working with clients to help them understand themselves more deeply. I am drawn to individuals, couples, and group counseling to build a better, healthier, more emotionally attuned world. Taking care of your mental health is incredibly important to a healthy and functional life. Becoming a mental health clinician means that I can play a part in a deeper understanding of our emotions and the communal rest our mental psyches desperately need. I aim to create a warm and non-judgmental environment where clients can discover deeper self-awareness. Understanding one's experiences from their point of view within their environment is essential for a collaborative and trusting therapeutic relationship.
I work with clients to identify problems, understand emotions, and improve their relationships with themselves, their loved ones, and our world. Whether you've recently had a life transition, are struggling with a close relationship, or are feeling lost, I will help guide you towards a more supported, encouraged, and self-aware mindset. You're open to learning about yourself and getting curious about your emotions. Through our work together, I hope you'll explore setting boundaries, expressing your needs, and learning more about your communication style. When our time in therapy is complete, you'll gain a deeper self-understanding and move through the world with an emotionally attuned sense of yourself and others.
A little bit about Sarah.
sarah’s APPROACH TO therapy
Mind-Body-Spirit Alignment
I have an eclectic approach to therapy. My therapeutic style is affirming and person-centered. I see our work through a trauma-informed and strengths-based lens. I work with teens, young adults, and couples. I focus on identity concerns and life transitions, navigating codependency and relationships (self, platonic, familial, and romantic), and attachment and anxiety – with a focus on ADHD and eco-anxiety. The benefit of working with me is that you will always be the expert on your own life. I aim to balance direct and gentle talk therapy through a friendly and warm demeanor.
EDUCATION + TRAINING
I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies from Whitman College in 2017. I am finishing my advanced year working towards my Master of Social Work from University of Maryland (anticipated graduation in 2023). My professional background includes community organizing, urban farming, climate advocacy, mentorship and advocacy for students with disabilities, and storytelling. In addition, I am educated in individual, couples, and group counseling as well as trauma-informed, social justice-oriented interventions.