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Cara Kelley, LMHC

Experienced mental health professional

Provides online counseling through BetterHelp

At a glance

Cara is an experienced, licensed Mental Health Professional who specializes in affordable online therapy offered through our partner, BetterHelp.

4.5 stars
Clients are very satisfied with Cara. View 33 reviews
Speaks English
Offers Telehealth visits
Licensed in Iowa

Recent reviews

Cara is the best! She really changes your life

Reviewed November 2024

Cara is a great listener and is very understanding and compassionate. I'm very lucky to have found her as she has given me great support and help.

Reviewed November 2024

More about Cara

  • 8 years' experience
  • Female
  • LMHC

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot

I have experience counseling people of all ages in both individual and group settings. I have ties to the military community and have been an advocate for veteran suicide awareness. I have my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am also a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and have completed courses in Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM), Psychological First Aid (PFA), Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and am a QPR Gatekeeper for education in suicide prevention.

I believe counseling provides a safe, warm, supportive relationship where you can openly share your thoughts and feelings and learn new strategies for coping with situations and emotions. My desire is to work with you to develop new patterns in your life that can lead to healthier coping skills, increased confidence, and a greater sense of purpose and meaning in your life. I believe my role is to help you utilize what you already know and your strengths to help you overcome barriers in order to grow more fully into who you want to become. I believe in the strength of human resiliency, but sometimes we become stuck and need help to move forward. I believe that one must take a holistic approach to overall health. The mind, body and spirit are so intimately connected that one most certainly influences the others.

As far as human nature is concerned, I believe you have a desire to do what is right, but often find you do the very things that might not be in your best interests. That desire to do what is right is what gives me hope for everyone. I believe you can never fall too far to benefit from counseling. I believe everyone can change – if they really want to. I want to be the person that helps you on your journey of hope. I think so many people keep everything bottled up and do not share their feelings and fears with anyone. This can lead them to believe they are the only one feeling this way and that can be a very dark place. I want you to know you are not alone and that there is hope!

Specialties

Stress Anxiety Self esteem Depression Coping with life changes Relationship issues Trauma and abuse Grief Intimacy-related issues Parenting issues Career difficulties ADHD Aging and geriatric issues Body image Caregiver issues and stress Codependency Commitment issues Communication problems Divorce and separation Emptiness Family of origin issues Family problems Forgiveness Guilt and shame Impulsivity Isolation / loneliness Life purpose Men's issues Midlife crisis Veteran and Armed Forces Issues Money and financial issues Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacks Self-love Social anxiety and phobia Somatization Women's issues Workplace issues Young adult issues

Treatment Approaches

  • Client-Centered Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Trauma-Focused Therapy

Licenses

Cara Kelley's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1891252888.

  • LMHC · Iowa · 095624 · Expires September 2026

About online counseling

Affordable.
Pay a low flat fee.
Convenient.
Do it at your own time and at your own pace. Communicate whenever you feel it's needed.
Available now.
There is no waiting list and no calls to make. Simply fill out a short questionnaire and send your first message.

Online counseling allows you to receive care from a mental health practitioner via phone, video chat, or instant messaging. It is convenient for those who may have trouble getting to or would prefer not to have in-person therapy appointments. Starting at $65 per week, online counseling is generally more affordable than in-person counseling. A study by researchers at University of California, Berkeley found that online counseling can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy while being more convenient, affordable, and accessible.

Reviews for Cara Kelley

All reviews have been submitted by clients after seeing the provider.

Overall rating:

4.5

33 reviews

5
4
3
2
1

Clients mention: Great Easy Helped Recommend The best Listens Amazing Helpful Understand Easy to talk

Cara is the best! She really changes your life

Reviewed November 2024

Cara is a great listener and is very understanding and compassionate. I'm very lucky to have found her as she has given me great support and help.

Reviewed November 2024

Cara has been my therapist for over two years and has changed my life so much

Reviewed June 2024

Cara is exactly what I was hoping for as a begin my journey with therapy. She has been thoughtful, kind, and understand. Cara is down to earth and is extremely easy to talk to. I would recommend her to anyone.

Reviewed May 2024

Cara is very easy to talk to and I feel very comfortable opening up to her.

Reviewed May 2024

She is incredible in every way possible. Awesome listener. Truly seems to care about me and getting me help.

Reviewed February 2024

Cara is extremely an extremely wise and faithful therapist. She brings up things that I have never thought of and gives me hope.

Reviewed May 2022

I have only worked with Ms. Kelley for a few weeks but I had good connection with her from our first meeting. I would definitely recommend her. I have had several therapists over the years and it is not always easy to find someone you feel hears you and is listening versus sharing their opinion. I found Ms. Kelley to be a good connection for me right away. She definitely made me feel comfortable and heard. I don't have any reservations sharing things with her and have found all of her guidance very helpful and extremely supportive. I also think the ease of signing up, the potential for online sessions, and Faithful Counseling's good matching system (matching therapists with those seeking assistance) makes it a great resource for anyone seeking help and guidance in life. A friend recommended it to me and I have already recommended to another friend. If you are feeling down, depressed, anxious, overwhelmed, or even a little lost don't wait. Check out this platform and get some help today. You definitely deserve it and it is available right through your laptop. I would definitely recommend Cara Kelley as a therapist.

Reviewed August 2021

Cara has been helped me so much. I am indebted to her. She is kind and wise, and suggests really helpful insight. I am so pleased.

Reviewed May 2023

My therapist Cara Kelly helped me in short period of time to become calm and emotionally balanced instead of feeling anxious and worried. Most important I learned to appreciate my husband and feel safe and happy in my marriage. Cara helped me to see my own passive aggressive behavior and learn how to communicate in non violent way. I have never felt so good about myself and world around me. Thanks to Cara.

Reviewed February 2023

Cara is the BEST. I’ve been seeing her for about a year and a half and she is truly an amazing therapist, she is kind, attentive, and thoughtful. I can’t say enough great things about her. I’ve made so much progress and I owe it all to her!

Reviewed April 2023

She is the best hands down, and has gotten me through the most difficult times. Wonderful listener and advice

Reviewed April 2023

Cara has been amazing to talk to! She offers great advice, makes me laugh, and helps with my stress & anxiety. I highly recommend her!

Reviewed February 2023

Cara has changed my life! I have a better relationship with myself and see the world in a healthier perspective. She has been around through a lot of stressful situations this past year and I couldn’t have done it without her. So grateful to have her as my therapist!

Reviewed November 2022

I would recommend Cara Kelley to anyone who grow up in dysfunctional family. I felt connected and understood right away. I feel heard and guided how to change my behavior by understanding it’s roots and implementing simple yet powerful techniques. Cara is not just skilled therapist she is also very warm person.

Reviewed November 2022

She's given me some good advice and tools that have been helpful so far

Reviewed November 2022

I appreciate her listening and providing feedback.

Reviewed July 2022

Cara is engaged, sensitive to me issues and charming.

Reviewed June 2022

After only a month or 2 of working with Cara, she's helped me to have more confidence in myself by empowering me to trust my thoughts and feelings rather than suppress them. When my thoughts and actions aren't healthy, she suggests more productive ways to cope. Just knowing that she's "in my corner" makes a huge difference for me.

Reviewed May 2022

Cara is really changing my life. I feel she is really helping me have a more enjoyable and healthy life. With great coping skills and encouragement!

Reviewed April 2022

Cara is amazing! She is so kind, compassionate, and understanding. She makes me feel heard and provides the right balance of listening and advice. Sessions with her are the best part of my week!

Reviewed February 2022

She is very sweet and kind. She has helped me already. I would recommend her.

Reviewed February 2022

Cara is awesome. Great rapport from the start.

Reviewed February 2022

Cara listens intently and is easy to talk to. I appreciate that she always responds in a timely manner and follows up each session with a summary. Cara helped me see connections I hadn’t considered before.

Reviewed January 2022

She very good at listening and helping me understand my experiences.

Reviewed January 2022

Cara is an excellent Therapist who you can form a trusting relationship with quickly. She’s a good listener and gets to the root of the problem. She offers sound advice but wants to know how you feel about it.

Reviewed December 2021

Cara Kelley is the best! She listens intently. She makes great suggestions and her messages show that she really understands my feelings.

Reviewed December 2021

It has been truly amazing meeting with Cara. I was able to voice things I never really was able to. She helped me reach my goals. I was scared of therapy before but no longer feel that way. I wondered before why people thought therapy was so helpful and now I understand. Super grateful for her!

Reviewed November 2021

Cara has been very easy to speak with. She listens well and give feedback and suggestions for coping with issues I am having to try. She helps me to be okay with my feelings without making feel like she is patronizing me. She doesn’t pretend to understand my feelings but validates the normalcy which helps me to know that even though I don’t personally know people that has been in my position , I am not alone. After both sessions I have had with Cara I seem to come out of it feeling a little better each time motivating me to keep going and to allow my feelings but don’t live in them. Some does are and will be bad and for now that’s okay.

Reviewed November 2021

Cara has been wonderful. Her energy is open and caring, without pandering. I appreciate her for that. Glad she is part of your team. Thank you Better Help.

Reviewed November 2021

Cara is so easy to talk to. She’s friendly and listens. She makes you feel comfortable and makes it easy to open up to her. My mental health has improved after she became my counselor and I look forward to our meetings.

Reviewed September 2021

Cara is simply the best!

Reviewed September 2021

Cara has truly been great. I feel rejuvenated after our sessions and a lot happier. She listens, offers various coping methods and always ends the session with positive reinforcement. I couldn’t be happier.

Reviewed August 2021

How was your experience with Cara?

Frequently asked questions

Does Cara Kelley offer telehealth visits?

Yes. Cara Kelley works with clients by exchanging messages, chatting live, speaking over the phone, or video conferencing based on what works for the client at that particular time.

What language(s) does Cara Kelley speak?

Cara Kelley speaks English.

How many years of experience does Cara Kelley have?

Cara Kelley has 8 years of experience.

Where is Cara Kelley licensed to practice?

Cara Kelley is licensed to practice in Iowa.

Does Cara Kelley accept clients outside of the United States?

No, Cara Kelley does not accept clients outside of the United States.

Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy?

Numerous studies support the effectiveness of online platforms in facilitating life changes. For instance, research published by JMIR Publications, conducted by teams from the University of Berkeley, UCSF, and SF General Hospital, found that "users of BetterHelp experienced significantly reduced depression symptom severity after engaging with the platform."

What treatment approaches does Cara Kelley offer?

Cara Kelley offers clients Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Trauma-Focused Therapy.

How can I communicate with Cara Kelley?

Cara Kelley can be engaged in any one of four ways: (1) Exchanging messages, (2) chatting live, (3) speaking over the phone, or (4) video conferencing. You can use different ways at different times as you wish, based on your needs, availability, and convenience.

How do I get started with Cara Kelley?

Just tap the CHAT NOW button or tap here: A new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.

Mental health conditions are real, common, and treatable.

And recovery is possible.

Messaging
Live Chat
Phone
Video

When you tap CHAT NOW a new window will open and you'll be directed to a simple form that will help start the conversation. Please note: It can take up to a few days to be matched to a therapist.