01 · Who Kari works with

Kari works with relationship issues, family conflicts and trauma and abuse

Kari lists 14 specialisms and 11 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Kari chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Kari's own words

What Kari says about the work

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

Welcome! My name is Kari Hidalgo and I am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in the state of California and Colorado. I have been providing direct counseling services for over ten years and tele mental health services for over five years. I have worked with individuals, couples and families as they navigate different seasons of life. I have helped clients manage trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, stress, postpartum depression, difficult relationships and parenting challenges while encouraging, supporting, holding hope, exploring self care and helping them identify healthy boundaries.

I have always loved listening to people’s stories and walking alongside them in their journey. I am passionate about helping individuals and families develop healthier, more positively connected relationships. As a wife and working mother of four, I am aware of how challenging it is to live a balanced, fulfilled life, therefore I find it incredibly rewarding to help all people, whatever they might be struggling with. I am also passionate about helping individuals as they approach different stages of life. I am trained in the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models and EMDR and often utilize Solution Focused Therapy and Mindfulness in my sessions. I recently became a certified grief counselor. I desire to not only help those who have experienced significant trauma but also those dealing with everyday stressors, to find peace, joy and hope in this otherwise chaotic world.

Reaching out for help can be very scary. I am here to help in whatever way I can, but in particular to be a consistent, dedicated support as long as necessary.

Looking Forward, Kari

Kari Hidalgo, on the BetterHelp listing · read 10 Oct 2026

03 · How Kari works

The 4 approaches Kari lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Kari lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Kari'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 Kari runs a session.

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.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

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.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Kari 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 Kari'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 Kari at this point.

2. Naming Kari specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Kari 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 Kari.

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

3 questions worth asking Kari

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

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred 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.

• “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

California

Licence

CA LMFT 100121, CO LMFT MFT.0002319

Licence number

100121

Licence expires

31 Aug 2028

NPI

1235560491

Years in practice

10

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Kari'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 10 Oct 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 Kari. 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.