Kayla Cardenas, MSW, LISW, (she/her/hers) is a mixed race, lesbian/queer, cisgender, straight-bodied woman. She is the child of an immigrant and lives with chronic physical health issues. Kayla received a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University in Music. She then received an Associate of Arts and Sciences from Columbus State Community College in American Sign Language Interpreting and Education. Then Kayla ran away to work at Disney World before becoming a high school science teacher in Nashville, TN through the Teach for America program. After moving back to Columbus, she worked at various non-profit agencies serving the d/Deaf/HH and LGBTQ+ communities, as well as those affected by domestic/sexual violence and hate crimes. Throughout these experiences, Kayla developed a unique and diverse lens through which to meet and assist others, and she chose to return to Ohio State to obtain her Master’s in Social Work.
Before CCW, Kayla worked for a number of years in community mental health as a generalist clinician. Now, she enjoys serving adults in the LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and d/Deaf* communities. Clinically, she specializes in working with depression, anxiety, bipolar, women’s/LGBTQ+ issues, and PTSD - specifically with those who have experienced domestic/sexual violence and/or childhood trauma. Kayla utilizes an integrative approach to therapy, with emphasis in the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Non-Violent Communication, and mindfulness.
Kayla meets people where they are and understands that therapy can be hard, and sometimes even awkward. She believes the use of humor can go a long way in releasing some of this tension and building the collaborative relationship between client and therapist in order to enact deep, meaningful change and peace within oneself.
Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage & Family Therapist Board License #: I.2002116