By Voleer Thomas | For The Guardian

Gainesville native Kimberly Brown is determined to inspire the black community to use a tool to help individuals relieve traumas they have experienced.

I want to help with mental health, especially since it is seldom discussed in our communities, Brown said.

Brown in June launched Kimberly Kares located at 1731 NW Sixth St., Suite A, to provide more opportunities for the black community to utilize mental health and therapy services.

Her desire to work in the mental health field began when she was an intern at the Alachua County Jail and was inspired by her supervisor who was a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).

She was compassionate and did a lot of therapy, Brown said. Some of the inmates she worked with didnt come back. Thats what sealed the deal for me.

After receiving her undergraduate degree in criminal justice and pre-law at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Breach, she pursued and received her Master of Social Work at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

A few years later, Brown became a licensed clinical social worker and a child and adolescent trauma professional.

Brown formerly worked as a childrens counselor at Childrens Home Society in Gainesville and currently works as a medical social worker at the University of Florida for pediatrics.

Although counseling children is her specialty, Brown also sees the importance of working with adults.

Children are my niche, but I do see adults, Brown said. There are people that have adverse experiences as children and things dont go as they should as adults.

Brown said she loves seeing the recent increase of awareness from black people learning about therapy and the importance of seeking mental health help.

Nothing makes me feel greater, Brown said. It makes me know I made the right decision.

Brown is also an author who recently published two books this year that are titled Bella Noelles Affirmations and Bella and The Brain In: Exploring My Feelings.

The latter book was co-authored by her seven-year-old daughter, Bella Smith.

The affirmation book describes how Bella the fairy helps a child name Susie become happy again by telling her about the importance of affirmations and the book also comes with a page for a child to write in their own affirmations.

It is important for children to see characters that look like them, Brown said.

Her other book helps children navigate how to understand their feelings by using the character called "Bryan the Brain" to help another character named "Bella" process her feelings while she moved to a new town. The book also has coloring pages in the end.

Brown said it is important for children to learn techniques such as meditative breathing and positive thinking to help them cope with challenging emotions.

A lot of issues adults face started as a child, Brown said. It [the book] simplifies big scary words and creates self-awareness. By the time theyre adults they can use these calming skills.

Brown hosted webinars in the past with collaboration with other social workers to increase the accessibility of mental health. She plans to host them once every two months.

Thats my way of giving back free of cost, Brown said. Its important to take care of ourselves during this climate. We cant let it eat us up inside to the point were no longer self-aware. Its okay to be angry, but I dont want us to not take care of ourselves because of it.

Brown offers a free consultation over the phone to find out the best treatment for the client.

Her individual one-hour appointments are $90 and her family sessions are $100.

However, Brown provides a sliding scale for clients up to 50% off the full fee.

She said she wanted to provide treatment at a discounted price to help make therapy affordable for people living at a lower income level.

I will always work with them, Brown said. I want to maker sure my services are accessible to whoever needs it.

Brown uses a HIPAA-compliant software called SimplePractice to help with scheduling appointments and sharing documents with clients.

Brown is on therapy directories such as Therapy for Black Girls, Psychology Today and Trap Therapist to help as many people with their mental health as she can.

Its all about visibility, Brown said. There are therapists that look like you. For our culture, it is okay to seek help. You can go to church and still seek a therapist.

To schedule an appointment with Brown, email her at info@kimberlykarescounseling.com or call her at 352-562-0336.

For more informatio, visit http://www.kimberlykarescounseling.com

Read this article:
Making therapy accessible - Gainesville Sun