Meet Carla

Some paths come full circle. I grew up in my parents’ plumbing business, spending weekends in the office handling dispatch, organizing systems, and seeing up close how thoughtful operations support real people at work. That early experience set the stage for a career dedicated to the intersection of people, workplaces, and mental health.

I first formalized that passion through a Master’s in Human Resources and Labor Relations and spent 13 years in HR and leadership, partnering with organizations on performance, culture, and compliance. Along the way, I became a Certified Co‑Active Coach and spent years coaching individuals and teams across multiple industries. Eventually, I returned to graduate school to become a clinical mental health counselor, integrating everything I knew about organizations, leadership, and people into my work with clients.

Today, that same integration lives at the heart of The Mental Health Executive. Rather than offering live consulting, I create on‑demand resources for therapists, group practice owners, and mental health leaders who want practical, real‑world tools. My HR and leadership background, combined with running a thriving group psychotherapy practice, informs every template, training, and framework in the library—so you can apply what works without needing 1:1 consulting.

My professional experience spans mental health, financial services, manufacturing, technology, health care, publishing, and retail. Across those settings, my work has included one‑on‑one coaching and assessment, team facilitation, and training and development—all of which now distill into structured, self‑paced resources designed for busy leaders.

Professional qualifications, certifications, and memberships include:

• Licensed Professional Counselor, State of Colorado (LPC.0016527)

• Licensed Addiction Counselor, State of Colorado (ACD.0001247)

• Nationally Certified Counselor, National Board for Certified Counselors

• Approved Clinical Supervisor, National Board for Certified Counselors

• Approved Continuing Education Provider, National Board for Certified Counselors

• Certified Co‑Active Coach, Coaches Training Institute

• Member, American Counseling Association (ACA)

• Exposure and Response Prevention clinician and trainer

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Certified

• Prolonged Exposure Therapy for treatment of PTSD, trained by the Department of Veterans Affairs and certified by Emory University

• Certified Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR), 2006–2020, and active member of the Society for Human Resource Management

• Certified in Speed of Trust (Covey) and Lominger methodologies

Education:

• Master of Arts, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Regis University, Denver, Colorado, August 2018 (Graduated with Honors)

• Master of Arts, Human Resources and Labor Relations, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 2004

• Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 2002

• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program graduate, May 2022