Counseling
Kari Ayoroa, MA, LPCC-S, LPC, LCPC, LPC, CIMHP, CCTP, CCATP
LICENSURE
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor-Supervisor
Kentucky
Licensed Professional Counselor
Virginia
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
Maryland
Licensed Professional Counselor
District of Columbia
ADDITIONAL CREDENTIALING
Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional
CIMHP
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional
CCTP
Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional
CCATP
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
International OCD Foundation (iocdf.org)
American Counseling Association (counseling.org)
I’ve helped my clients break through the obstacles that seem to be holding them back in life. Life's too short to be unhappy, unsure, or unfulfilled. I am here to help my clients achieve a more positive outlook on life, and provide them with all the tools necessary to get them there. Let me help you learn and develop better ways to handle the issues that are standing in the way of your goals.
I work with adults on a variety of topics and my areas of particular speciality include:
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Women's issues
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Helping those struggling obsessive thought or repetitive actions, OCD
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Worries about anything...anxiety
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Perfectionism
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Body image concerns
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Life transitions
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Trauma and traumatic stress
I was born in South Africa and lived between there, the US, and in different parts of Africa until I was 18. I came back to the US for college and decided to stay in Kentucky for my husband and his young daughter. My background with cultural diversity and the relevance of that continues past my childhood and into my practice as a clinician in Kentucky and marrying into a Latino family. Moving to the DMV area in 2020 came out of necessity and the pandemic but has become a new place to call home.
Having worked in the mental health field for almost 20 years and in private practice for the majority of that time, my training has spanned from working with families and children to my current specialization with adults. In all that time I believe that my strongest asset and what I offer to my clients is my willingness to meet every individual where they are in their life journey and assist in the change that promotes hope and growth.
"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom. -Victor Frankl
Anxiety
I treat anxiety and OCD with a combination of four modalities/techniques: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Psychoeducation, and Acceptance and Committment Therapy (ACT).
-CBT is a treatment method that focuses on understanding and recognizing cognition and behavioral connections and utilizes techniques to overcome and manage these.
-Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and environment.
-Psychoeducation is helping the client understand what anxiety/OCD is, how it impacts the emotional and physical state, and increase understanding of the role this plays in daily life.
-ACT focuses on acknowledging and accepting life struggles without judgement or expectation.
I believe that the process of navigating anxiety is very personal and the role that I play in that journey is to ensure that with time and work the client can go on with their lives without me but with the skills and knowledge to be successful.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
The National Institute of Mental Health defines OCD as "often a long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts (obsessions), and behaviors (compulsions) that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over"1.
There are many forms of OCD and the international OCD foundation provides information about most of these
Treatment for OCD uses many of the same techniques used for anxiety including CBT, ACT, Mindfulness, and psychoeducation. In addition Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is used.
ERP therapy is the process of exposing an individual to anxiety inducing situations, environments, or things then working through the physical and emotional reactions, thus decreasing the severity of the reaction.
The process of treatment is different for every individual, as no single person experiences OCD or feels the same. For that reason, meeting every client where they are in their journey is my first goal.
1 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd
Trauma and Depression
As a certified clinical trauma professional I utilize evidence based trauma treatment in conjunction with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Psychoeducation and Acceptance and Committment Therapy (ACT).
-CBT is a treatment method that focuses on understanding and recognizing cognition and behavioral connections and utilizes techniques to overcome and manage these.
-Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and environment.
-Psychoeducation promoting a better understanding of what trauma is, how it impacts the emotional and physical state, and increase understanding of the role this plays in daily life.
-ACT focuses on acknowledging and accepting life struggles without judgement or expectation.
Trauma and traumatic stress impact every individual in different ways and can have different outcomes. I believe that my role is to increase management of the impact of trauma on daily living and increase coping skills so that the outcome is one of hope and growth.