Location Page – Triangle (Cary)

Growing up in Wisconsin, Cari always knew she would work with children and families. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in Wisconsin and her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy in Illinois. Her initial post-grad work in rural Wisconsin was to provide family therapy to families in crisis, who were court mandated to receive therapy, due to a history of abuse and neglect. In that role, Cari also directed a teen runaway program and had to monitor a 24-hour crisis hotline for teens and respond to crisis calls. When she was given the opportunity to move out to California to work with neurodivergent children and conduct parent training, she eagerly jumped at the chance! She learned how to provide ABA as a behavior therapist and quickly saw the massive impact she could make with a child in just one 2-hour session! This was a stark contrast to the high stress work she had previously done, which took much longer to see lasting change. Thus, Cari immediately became passionate about the role and was hooked on ABA!  

Cari’s early work in the field of ABA was solely with early intervention clients (under age 3) and their families for three years before moving to the agency where she spent 12 years working with children of all ages and their families. She moved into a supervisory position in 2013 and became a BCBA in 2015. She spent two and a half years serving as a Regional Assistant Clinical Director before moving to NC and stepping into the role as Clinic Director. Cari is most proud of the long-term clients with whom she worked for 8-12 years; she was able to be part of their growth as they aged, gaining invaluable experience about child development, utilizing different interventions, and teaching diverse skill sets as a result. “It’s incredible to see the direct, positive impact you can make on a child and their family when you apply kindness and dedication to each child.” Cari also really finds joy in mentoring RBTs and BCBAs, so she can help make a larger impact on lasting change for children and families in the future.  

Outside of work, Cari can be found with her husband, young son, and two dogs, hanging out on a local lake or searching for fun things to do in NC!