Kara Portier, ACSW

Associate Clinical Social Worker

Kara earned her Master’s degrees in Clinical Social Work and Public Health from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science from UCLA. Her practice is grounded in evidence-based approaches and focuses on helping individuals better understand and regulate intense emotions, develop effective coping strategies, and move toward long-term goals aligned with their values.

She was selected for Columbia University’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Training Program and Lab, completing extensive instruction, supervision, and clinical practice in the Linehan-Certified Accelerated DBT Program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She also completed intensive DBT training through Behavioral Tech, LLC. Her approach is further informed by training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, mindfulness-based practices, and suicide risk assessment and treatment.

Kara works with adults and adolescents navigating a range of emotional and relational challenges, including difficulties with emotion regulation, patterns of avoidance or self-defeating behavior, and the impact of overwhelming life experiences. She is committed to creating a compassionate, non-judgmental space and brings a collaborative approach to therapy. Drawing on her interdisciplinary background, she takes a whole-person perspective that considers both internal experiences and the broader external systems that shape them.

Beyond clinical work, Kara contributes to behavioral health research and implementation science, with a focus on expanding access to evidence-based care.

Kara offers therapy to both adults and adolescents via telehealth and in person in the Beverly Hills and Torrance offices.