Kara Lairson
Lexington,KY
Summary
Compassionate LPCA devoted to building and maintaining relationships, as well as implementing community services to promote client wellness. Experienced in providing direct services to clients and managing caseload. Adept at developing individualized treatment and safety plans. A graduate in December of 2023 with excellent research, technical and problem-solving skills. Detail-oriented and able to learn new concepts quickly.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Outpatient Clinician
New Vista Behavioral Health
Georgetown, Kentucky
12.2023 - Current
- Provided psychotherapy services to individuals, couples, and families.
- Conducted initial assessments of clients to determine presenting issues and develop treatment plans.
- Communicated with school personnel, probation officers, psychiatrists, and other professionals regarding client progress.
- Created documentation including assessment notes, treatment plans, progress notes, discharge summaries and referrals.
- Maintained accurate records of clinical activity in accordance with HIPAA guidelines.
- Developed individualized therapeutic interventions based on diagnosis and best practices in the field of mental health counseling.
- Assisted clients in developing coping skills to better manage symptoms of mental illness or emotional distress.
- Engaged in outreach activities within the community to increase awareness about available resources for mental health support.
Roosevelt Fellow
The Council of State Governments
Lexington, Kentucky
06.2023 - Current
- Represented company professionally when engaging with public and government agencies.
- Maintained professionality and efficiency while working closely with leadership.
- Responded to requests for information from media or designated spokesperson or information source.
- Conferred with other managers to identify trends or key group interests or concerns.
- Established or maintained cooperative relationships with representatives of community, consumer or public interest groups.
Clinical Mental Health Counselor Intern
New Vista Behavioral Health
Lexington, KY
01.2023 - 12.2023
- Communicated with patients during group therapy sessions and provided opportunities for participants to share personal experiences.
- Complied with federal and corporate guidelines to safeguard continuous level of patient confidentiality.
- Researched patient cases to understand issues and provide current needs assessment.
- Assisted Licensed Social Workers with client intake process and administered questionnaires.
- Provided individual and group counseling services to recovery clients.
- Asked questions to help clients identify personal feelings and behaviors
- Applied knowledge of cultural mores and different treatment modalities to develop and implement successful intervention plans.
- Worked with diverse group of patients under direct supervision of licensed therapists and supervisors.
- Performed 700 hours of indirect and direct internship experience, including group and individual sessions.
- Assisted clients with developing relevant skills to improve functionality in social, educational and vocational situations.
- Coordinated resources to support clients and help each achieve targets.
- Maintained confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
- Collaborated with mental health professionals and other staff members to perform clinical assessments or develop treatment plans.
- Encouraged clients to express feelings and discuss happenings in life to help develop insight into themselves or relationships.
Administrative Assistant
Blue and Co., LLC
Lexington, Kentucky
06.2022 - 05.2023
- Managed physical and digital files, monitored spreadsheets and updated reports to coordinate project materials.
- Utilized editing programs to proofread content for typo-free emails, memos and documentation.
- Inventoried and ordered supplies for office.
- Prepared and prioritized calendars and correspondence.
- Provided secretarial and office management support while building cooperative working relationships.
- Delivered exceptional customer service through direct communication with clients and team members.
- Scanned physical documents and uploaded to encrypted databases for digital maintenance.
- Prepared correspondence, reports and other documents in final formats with correct punctuation, capitalization, grammar and spelling.
- Maintained accurate department and customer records.
- Organized both physical and digital files and updated reports to coordinate project materials.
- Composed correspondence, reports and meeting notes.
IB English B/IB Theatre Instructor
Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Languages
Uiwang, South Korea
08.2018 - 02.2022
- Developed curriculum and lesson plans to structure classroom activities.
- Built and strengthened positive relationships with students, parents and teaching staff.
- Differentiated instruction according to student skill level.
- Engaged students and boosted understanding of material using focused instructional strategies and hands-on activities.
- Assisted fellow teachers with assignment development, special projects, tests, administrative updates and grading.
- Supervised students throughout day, both in classroom and outside during breaks.
- Enhanced lessons with smart board technology, iPads, and computers to address common core goals.
- Utilized behavior management skills to foster environment conducive to student learning.
Education
Master of Arts - Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The Chicago School
Chicago, IL12.2023
Master of Arts - English
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY05.2012
Bachelor of Arts - English
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY05.2010
Skills
- Colleague Collaboration
- Individual Counseling
- Group Counseling
- Substance Abuse Counseling
- Stress Tolerance
- Care Planning
- Community Resources and Education
- Clinical Records Maintenance
- File and Record Keeping
- Patient Advocacy
- Critical Thinking
- Written and Verbal Communication
- Scheduling Coordination
- Education and Training
- Student Teaching Supervision
- Active Learning
- Goal Setting
Timeline
Outpatient Clinician
New Vista Behavioral Health
12.2023 - Current
Roosevelt Fellow
The Council of State Governments
06.2023 - Current
Clinical Mental Health Counselor Intern
New Vista Behavioral Health
01.2023 - 12.2023
Administrative Assistant
Blue and Co., LLC
06.2022 - 05.2023
IB English B/IB Theatre Instructor
Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Languages
08.2018 - 02.2022
Master of Arts - Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The Chicago School
Master of Arts - English
Eastern Kentucky University
Bachelor of Arts - English
Eastern Kentucky University
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