Meet K’Hara McKinney | Licensed Marriage and Family Therapiat

We had the good fortune of connecting with K’Hara McKinney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi K’Hara, can you tell us about a book that has had a meaningful impact on you?
A book that I’ve read recently that truly impacted my work was “Lost Connections”. This book is about the author who suffered from clinical depression from age 18 and tried various medications, unfortunately not fully feeling “cured”. He ultimately decided to find organic reasons for contributors to depression and anxiety and discovered several that were determined to have an impact on mood. It absolutely shifted how I practice therapy because it showed me that if there is a contributor to depression, then by managing these we can decrease the intensity of mood symptoms. Brilliantly written!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I own a private mental health practice and see adults, families and couples. After finishing graduate school I started practicing in a non-profit and once licensed moved to other non-profit work that allowed me to have the flexibility to build my business from the ground. As a result of the growth and learning in those agencies, it allowed me to expand my breadth of understanding of the work. However, I knew I wanted creative control in terms of how to see my clients, who I see and who has access. I think as a person of color, I wanted to be accessible to people who looked like me and to reach them in a trustworthy way. In this work, integrity is important. To build trust in the community and to maintain a healthy business, so I prioritize trust and integrity as a pillar of my practice.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my friend were visiting I’d prioritize anything outdoors, perhaps a hike or the beach, something cultural like a concert, or museum and definitely good food. There are so many good restaurants it’s hard to narrow down but we have the best array of cultural food here. Ethiopian, Mexican, Caribbean and soul food. All of them would in on the list

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this to my parents. I am a first generation college graduate and business owner. But they grinded to put me through college, had faith in me and made me feel like I could do hard things. I owe it to them

Website: https://www.kharamckinney.com

Instagram: @kharamckinneylmft

Yelp: https://yelp.to/R5XCq_GCLX