Kara Strauss

Associate Clinical Social Worker | ACSW #139335
(Supervised by Dr. Joe DeBruin, Clinical Psychologist, PSY #21895)

    • Adolescents & Teens

    • Young Adults 

    • Parenting

    • Anxiety & Stress

    • Depression

    • Relationship Struggles

    • Grief & Loss

    • Career Transitions

    • Self-Esteem & Identity 

    • Crisis Counseling

    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

    • Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

    • Humanistic Therapy

    • Motivational Interviewing

    • Strengths-Based Therapy

    • Ecological Perspective 

    • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

    • Master of Social Work (MSW), Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC), Child Welfare and Attendance Credential (CWA) - University of Massachusetts Global

    • Bachelor of Science, Land Use and Planning; Minor in Geography and Geographic Information Systems - Metropolitan State College of Denver

    • Certified in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)

    • Certified in Brief Intervention

    • Practicum experience providing school-based counseling, crisis response, and IEP and SARB collaboration in San Luis Obispo County schools

    • Additional practicum experience in individual counseling, assessment, and treatment planning at a community psychological services practice

    • Founder & President of GIVEslo nonprofit

    • Twenty years of professional and community leadership in the Central Coast area

Offering a steady presence for the seasons that ask the most of you.

Maybe life has been tough for a while now and it’s starting to come to a head. It could be your teen is acting out at home or at school in ways that spurred you into action. Or you might feel yourself barely hanging on by a thread managing your own stuff. Or maybe you’re just sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.

It feels like it’s all going wrong—work (or school), your sleeping patterns, relationships—and you know you need some support.

I work with teens and adults who are in a season of life that’s really testing them and want someone who will see and hear them without judgment. A lot of them just want tools to help them manage all of it a bit better. 

The clients I work with best are the ones who are willing to be vulnerable so we can get right to the heart of things. They understand that the path to healing isn’t linear and they’re open to trusting the process. If you can be open to change, receptive to feedback, and ready to have honest conversations, we can make some amazing progress together. 

I came to this work through a winding road.

Just like a lot of my clients, I’ve navigated major crossroads in my life and made some huge transitions. In my past life, I was a boutique farmer. But business slowed during the pandemic and I realized it was time to pivot to something new. 

I’d always loved helping the people around me. As a farmer, I created a nonprofit that helped connect folks with resources via doctors, therapists, and social workers. I knew I wanted to continue to connect people with a space for healing and help them lean into the strengths they already had. So when I decided to go back to school, it was a no-brainer to become a clinical social worker. 

In session, my approach is based on authenticity and that human-to-human connection. I’ve lived many of the challenges my clients face. I don’t offer a magic bullet, but I’ll work with you to build a toolkit to get you through the bumpy roads of life. 

I believe when we’re in the trenches, it’s hard to see the nuggets of gold. Our work together is about broadening your view and finding tips and strategies to focus on the strengths of your life. We won’t shy away from the dark stuff—we’ll shine a light on it and name it. Once you do that, things can start to change.

Schedule a consultation with me

A little more about me…

  • The moment someone realizes they've been stronger than they’ve been giving themselves credit for. My clients usually come to me when they’re still down there in the muck. I get to shine a light for them and show them that they really do know how to climb out on their own. We slowly build a rescue ladder together week by week. I’m honored to be able to watch people go from feeling helpless to finding their own power. 

  • Raising three kids while running a business and building a nonprofit from scratch. There were plenty of years where I was figuring things out as I went, without a clear playbook, and I think that's part of why I don't expect my clients to have everything figured out either.

  • Before any of this, I ran a boutique farm here on the Central Coast for years. I still think about that work a lot in session. Farming teaches you patience with things that grow slowly. You learn to trust the process even when you can't see results right away.