Kara Ashley-Gilmore, LCMHC, ATR-BC, SEP
Hi, I’m Kara
My name is Kara Ashley-Gilmore, and I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Registered & Board Certified Art Therapist, and Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner. I specialize in working with individuals who have experienced trauma and are struggling with chronic anxiety. I love helping people learn to cope with stress through understanding their emotions, their bodies, their thoughts, their spirituality, and the things that get in the way of feeling ease, pleasure, and connection.
I have been working in the mental health field since 2007, combining my knowledge of psychology and creativity with techniques from CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Mindfulness-Based practices, attachment training, and Somatic Experiencing® to provide trauma and attachment-informed psychotherapy.
My counseling approach is informed by Steven Porges’ Polyvagal Theory and Adult Attachment research. Additionally, my experience of being a first-generation Jamaican immigrant who grew up in the melting pot of South Florida also impacts my world-view. I love learning, and make it a priority to deepen my understanding of human nature and the science behind why we do what we do.
When I’m not working, I enjoy taking walks, slowly transforming my brown-thumb into a green-thumb in the flower garden, traveling, taking art classes & workshops, book-binding, painting & collaging in one of several art journals, building miniatures, reading novels, and rambling about in the woods with my family.
Training & Credentials
- Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina (#10836)
- Registered & Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC #18-516) with the Art Therapy Credentials Board
- Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (Completed in 2022)
- Master’s in Art Therapy and Creativity Development from Pratt Institute, in Brooklyn, NY (Completed in 2007)
- Completed Certificate for Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) with the International OCD Foundation: Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP) for treatment of OCD and related disorders
- Certification in Traumatic Stress Studies from the Justice Resource Institute in Brookline, MA
- Advanced Certificate in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders from Postpartum Support International
- Professional Artist in Hendersonville, NC
- Other Training & Specializations Include:
- Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) for treatment of Attachment Trauma
- DARe 1 – Healing Early Attachment Wounds & Embracing the Authentic Self
- DARe 2 – Creating Healthy Adult Relationships
- DARe 4 – From Wound to Wellness: Victim/Perpetrator Dynamics and Disorganized Attachment
- Healing Racial Trauma & Inter-generational Trauma
- Bilateral Stimulation for Emotional Regulation
- Trauma-Informed Art Therapy
- Polyvagal Art Therapy
- DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
- Level 1 Yoga for Trauma and Resiliency