About Cara
Cara Kelley is a licensed mental health counselor who brings eight years of clinical experience to her practice in Iowa. She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and an LMHC credential. Cara focuses on practical steps people can take when stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, ADHD, or life changes feel overwhelming.
Cara aims to create a warm and accepting space where people can speak openly. She listens first, then helps clients find small, doable strategies to manage feelings and daily challenges.
Background and approach
Sessions emphasize using a person’s existing strengths to build new habits and skills. Her approach blends clear problem-solving with attention to values and purpose. Cara often uses techniques that help people reframe unhelpful thoughts, set realistic goals, and stay motivated to change.
She also pays attention to how physical health and meaning in life affect mood and behavior. Cara has worked in both individual and group settings and has experience connected to the military community and veteran concerns. She supports people who are navigating relationship strain, career questions, family dynamics, and transitions such as divorce or midlife changes.
People who do best with Cara are looking for straightforward guidance and practical tools. She works collaboratively, helping clients test small changes, track progress, and adjust plans as needed. The overall aim is clearer direction, better coping, and a stronger sense of confidence and purpose.
Practical Approaches for Online Care
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on creating a trusting relationship and building on a person’s strengths. It involves active listening and reflection so clients feel heard and can use their own resources to solve problems. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT helps people identify unhelpful thought patterns and try concrete behavior changes to reduce anxiety and improve mood. It suits worries, stress, and many day-to-day challenges where changing thoughts and habits matters.Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Cara will talk with clients about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is tracked, keeping sessions tailored to each person’s needs.
Online sessions can happen by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, which makes it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls let people work face-to-face from wherever they are. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be easier on days when being on camera is difficult. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for brief check-ins, quick skill practice, or when writing helps organize thoughts. These options help clients stay consistent with therapy while balancing work, family, and other responsibilities.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Also listed
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Career difficulties
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Relationship issues
- Somatization
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 8 years
- Licensed
- Iowa
- Languages
- English
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