01 · Who Kara works with

Kara works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and trauma and abuse

Kara lists 18 specialisms and 23 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Kara chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Kara's own words

What Kara says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello, and welcome! My name is Kara Denahan and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Rhode Island. I have been providing therapy to individuals and couples for over 25 years. Currently, I am only providing therapy for individuals.

I want to share a little of my development as a therapist as I think this will give you a better sense of who I am, both professionally and personally. My undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Science in Design, specialty Photography. In my mid-thirties I decided to return to school and entered a master’s level program to study Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Rhode Island. I graduated with a Master of Science Degree from URI in 1997. In 2001 I opened up my own private practice.

In 1999 I felt some dimension was lacking in both my professional and personal life and I joined a meditation group dedicated to the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist. I learned about the concept of interbeing and the benefits of mindfulness, meditation, acceptance, and cultivating inner peace. The wisdom transmitted in the teachings and the meditation practice deepened and expanded my capacity to connect and engage with my clients at a more satisfying level.

In 2009 I pursued training in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), developed by Richard Schwartz, Ph.D. I had been intrigued by this model of therapy for many years. IFS regards each person as a collection of parts ("a part of me wants to exercise, a part of me doesn’t") that interact continuously. The intention is to accept our inner world through connection with our True Self, which is wise and kind and non-judgmental. When we truly accept ourselves, even the parts of ourselves we might consider "flawed’", we experience less internal conflict and more internal harmony. When we are able to accept our own flaws, we then find it easier to accept others and their flaws, and we experience more external harmony.

Completing Level I (2010) and Level II (2012) of the intense IFS trainings had a profoundly positive effect on me. I am glad to be able to share these teachings with my clients. Truly accepting who we are is the best gift we can give ourselves.

There have been many other influential teachers in my life. Most recently, I am intrigued by Polyvagal Theory developed by Stephen Porges, Ph.D, and its practical applications as presented by Deb Dana, LCSW. Polyvagal Theory explains the underlying cause of most physical and mental disorders is a chronically dysregulated nervous system in a state of threat. I am also in awe of Daniel Siegel, M.D., a neuropsychiatrist who has developed Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), a therapy that beautifully integrates neuroscience, attachment theory and meditation practice. Rick Hanson, Ph.D, also blends neuroscience with ancient wisdom traditions and offers practical, simple, and effective techniques for increased personal well-being. Martha Beck is another source of inspiration who masterfully weaves humor with wisdom and has the gift of making the metaphysical credible. I am forever grateful to the teachings of Brene Brown for so clearly delineating the difference between shame and guilt, and for being an advocate for vulnerability, under the right conditions. I pass on to my clients the knowledge I have integrated from these wise and kind masters.

What I know is that there is not a one size fits all form of therapy. What works for you may not work for your friend. There are many doors to move through in life, and I make it my mission to help you find the best door for you to step through to a more fulfilling life. I know if you follow that which inspires and uplifts you then you will find your way. It is my joy and honor to be with you as you discover and uncover the unlimited potential that is you at your essence. What I have to offer you is years of accumulated wisdom and the ability to be fully present, expertise gained through following my heart to that which inspires and uplifts me. I hope to inspire you.

Please be aware that I prefer live audio or video sessions.

Kara Denahan, on the BetterHelp listing · read 8 Nov 2026

03 · How Kara works

The 6 approaches Kara lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Kara lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Kara's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Kara runs a session.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Reads present-day relationship difficulty through the lens of how safety and closeness were learned early on. The therapeutic relationship itself is treated as part of the work, because it is where the pattern tends to show up first.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Internal Family SystemsIFS

Treats the mind as made up of parts - the critic, the one who withdraws, the one that keeps everything running - each of which is trying to protect you. The work is getting to know them rather than overruling them.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Kara practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Kara's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Kara at this point.

2. Naming Kara specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Kara is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Kara.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Kara

Built from what Kara actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Kara's - Kara has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 23 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMFT

Licensed in

Rhode Island

Licence

RI LMFT MFT00080

Licence number

MFT00080

Licence expires

1 Jul 2028

NPI

1255493813

Years in practice

23

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Kara's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 8 Nov 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Kara. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.