Kara Portier (She/Her)
Therapist | ACSW 125804
Licensed in CA
Kara earned her master's degree in clinical social work and public health from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in Cognitive Science from UCLA. Her practice is grounded in evidence-based treatment and focuses on helping individuals understand and regulate intense emotions, develop effective coping strategies, and move toward long-term goals aligned with their values.
Kara was selected for Columbia University’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Training Program and Lab, where she completed extensive instruction, supervision, and clinical practice in the Linehan-Certified Accelerated DBT Program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She also completed intensive training in DBT through Behavioral Tech, LLC. In addition to DBT, Kara has training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing, mindfulness-based practices, and suicide risk assessment and treatment. She has experience providing treatment in both intensive outpatient (IOP) and outpatient settings.
Kara works with adults and adolescents experiencing difficulties with emotion regulation, anxiety, OCD, trauma, and unhelpful behavioral patterns. She partners with clients to identify and interrupt cycles that feel overwhelming or entrenched, and to develop more flexible, effective ways of responding. She is committed to creating a compassionate, non-judgmental space and brings a collaborative approach to therapy. Drawing on her interdisciplinary background, she takes a whole-person perspective, considering both clients’ internal emotional experiences and the broader systems that shape their lives.
Beyond clinical work, Kara contributes to behavioral health research and implementation science, with a focus on expanding access to evidence-based care.
