Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Kazemba.
Hi Kara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After working for years in community mental health and working my way up into management I had the thought that crosses most entrepreneur’s minds: “What if I could do this better?” What if I could provide a better experience for both the clients and the employees? From my time working with individuals experiencing severe mental illness, addiction, and houselessness, I learned a lot about what fosters mental wellness- and it wasn’t necessarily “evidenced based” practices. The times I saw my clients light up the most were when we put in a community garden, when we could cook together, hanging out with my dog, and going for a hike.. Thus, the idea of Ancora Wellness began to form. Right now we weave in ecotherapy and animal assisted therapy where we can with a dream of having a therapeutic farm in the future.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road. First, I am a social worker, first and foremost. I took zero business classes and have had to learn along the way how to lead a time, manage the financials, market, and shift with the times. Probably my darkest time was when I had substantial staff turnover while I was in the NICU with my premature twins. Trying to support my existing staff from the hospital and keep my business afloat while freshly postpartum was a hell I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Then, there’s also the fact that the medical industry is volatile. There’s been a lot of changes to insurance and healthcare in general. Weathering these changes and the financial insecurity they can cause is incredibly stressful. There are many times when I say something like “here we go again”- the newest change being Providence leaving the insurance industry. As a small business owner you can be so well prepared but in the end the “bigger guys” will always have an easier time when these changes happen.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Ancora Wellness is an integrative health clinic in downtown Hillsboro that prides itself in our LGBTQ affirming, anti-oppressive, and trauma informed approach to wellness. We specialize in counseling- offering individual, group, couples, and family therapy. We also have a naturopath and a nutritionist on staff. The goal with this business model was so that clients wouldn’t have to tell their story over and over again and bounce around between providers. We can truly keep their wellness goals front and center.
What I’m most proud of is my approach as social worker in business. Social workers strongly believe in a person-in-environment or systems framework. Simply, the individual can only be as healthy as the environment. With that, I have focused heavily on Ancora Wellness not just being in the Hillsboro community, but being part of it. We sponsor local runs, participate in local markets and festivals, hand out candy on Halloween, and participate in the arts. In addition to having a mural on the side of our building, we also support a local creative each month through participation in Hillsboro’s First Tuesday Art Walk. Because the community also includes the bees, have a pollinator garden in front of our building and are working to create a true native habitat in the city.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Start off by being yourself and finding your community. When I began, I really thought that people wanted therapists to be these gentle sunshine and unicorns souls- when in actuality I’m a bit rough around the edges. I swear, I’m blunt. And I’ve found that clients and other businesses tend to appreciate that authenticity. Being myself instead of “Business Owner Kara” or “Therapist Kara” means I also found people who shared my values and backed my dreams. And those people are what get you through those hard times I was talking about.
Pricing:
- OOP therapy is $250 for an Intake and $170 for a session
- We accept major insurance plans, including United, BCBS, Providence, Pacific Source, Aetna, and Cigna.
- Sliding scale may be available with one of our associates
- Naturopathic Care can be billed through insurance or $285 for an intake and follow ups start at $65
- Nutrition Packages are available
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ancorawellness.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ancora.wellness
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/ancorawellness
