~Kay’s Story~

Karen Wright, also known as “ Kay”, knows how hard it can be to talk about personal challenges. Her childhood was filled with many ups and downs: moving frequently (e.g., living in cars, hotels, trailer, relative’s homes), and witnessing domestic and community violence.

She developed anxiety at a young age due to these experiences, and she didn’t have anyone who could explain what she was going through. All she knew is that it was a very scary experience and she didn’t want to scare anyone else with “her problems”. She also didn’t have the words to describe what she was going through. Sometimes it was shown through her behavior that others could see (e.g., blank stares, isolating in her room, shaky hands/feet) and other times it wasn’t visible (e.g., stomach aches, headaches, rapid heart beat).

Kay had other siblings to take care of since her mother worked a lot. Because of this responsibility, she felt she couldn’t “break down” no matter how hard it may have gotten. Reflecting on her experience as an adult and mental health professional, she knows that doing well in school and being involved in extracurricular activities (band, choir, student government, etc) helped her to have some sense of security and control over her life.

This helped to manage her symptoms, but sometimes it was too much that she would cry all night and have bad dreams. But still, she couldn’t talk to anyone about it.

Kay’s mother played a crucial role in her life by instilling certain core values regarding education and working hard as “a way out” of poverty. Being involved in school activities as an adolescent gave Kay the opportunity to take trips, create positive experiences, and see the world from a different view besides the “chaos”.

Despite adversity, Kay remained optimistic about her future thanks to the guidance and support of positive adults in her life. She knew she wanted to attend college after high school and help other people in some way. Little did she know that her love for psychology would blossom.

She attended college at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and received her Bachelors degree for Psychology in 2007.

She continued her journey into graduate school at the Argosy University-Illinois School of Professional Psychology. Kay completed her internship at the Lake County Health Department: Child & Adolescent Behavioral Services, and obtained her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology in 2009.

After graduating, she was offered an opportunity to stay at her internship as a contract crisis worker. Kay worked her way up from contract (while being pregnant), to part-time, and eventually obtaining a full-time position as a therapist.

From 2008-2020, Kay dedicated her time to helping youth in the community that struggle with their mental health. During the pandemic, she decided to fulfill her dream of opening her own therapy practice. She has taken her years of experience and additional trainings to transition to helping adults as well. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor with specializations in trauma-informed therapy and holistic practices.

This is Kay’s approach: Providing a “no-judgment zone” where things are put on the table to inspire healing & growth. In order to heal, you must be willing to get uncomfortable and try something different. Rather it’s your first time seeking support or not, Kay is here to help! She just asks of you to be OPEN to the idea of improving your life.

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