I didn't just choose this work.

I'm Kiara. A Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Maryland and Virginia, IFS Level 2 trained therapist, and 15+ years of clinical counseling experience. I have spent time building a practice designed for the ones who hold everything together.

This work chose me.

15+ Years Experience

IFS LEvel 2 trained

maryland & virginia

virtual sessions

my story

I know what it costs to carry silent stories.

I became a therapist because I understood, from the inside, what it feels like to appear accomplished on the outside while feeling disconnected beneath the surface. I know the weight of perfectionism, the quiet ache of people-pleasing, and the particular exhaustion of navigating spaces that weren't designed with you in mind.

Therapy gave me a place to breathe, to reflect, and to reclaim my own truth. And I built this practice to create that same kind of space for others, specifically for BIPOC leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs who are ready to stop performing their success and start actually feeling it.

My work is rooted in Internal Family Systems (IFS), guided by deep cultural awareness, and shaped by a genuine respect for your full story: your achievements, your ancestry, your ambitions, and the parts of you that simply need rest.

About Kiara Hartwell Opara | IFS Therapist for BIPOC Leaders in MD & VA

My Approach.

Therapy that honors your whole complexity.

I specialize in working with BIPOC leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs who are high achieving, globally aware, culturally rooted, and who are quietly carrying more than anyone around them knows.

Through IFS, we work with all of you: the ambitious part, the exhausted part, the part that never learned it was safe to slow down.

My approach is nontraditional, culturally conscious, and deeply personal. I don't believe therapy is about fixing you. I believe it's about coming home to yourself.

Culturally Conscious

I practice with deep cultural awareness. You will never have to explain what code switching costs you, or translate your experience to be understood here.

IFS Rooted

Internal Family Systems honors every part of you, including the ones that strive, protect, and push through, without pathologizing them.

Personalized

My life is full and layered. I bring that same wholeness into how I work. This is not a one size fits all practice.

Credentials & Experience.

Licensure

15+ years. Deep training. Still learning.

I invest in ongoing training because the people I work with deserve a clinician who stays current, stays curious, and stays committed to the craft.

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) — Maryland

Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) — Virginia

Post-Graduate Training

IFS Level 1: Internal Family Systems Institute (2022)

IFS Level 2: Internal Family Systems Institute (2024)

IFS Creating Healing Circles Level 1: Trained under Chris Burris (2025)

Clinical Supervision

Clinical Experience

Sheppard Pratt Health System | Baltimore, MD / Rockville, MD | 2011-2015; 2017-2025

Kolmac Clinic DC | Washington, D.C. | Clinical Intern | January 2014- December 2014

Hope Health Systems | Baltimore, MD | LGPC - School Based Therapist | August 2015 - May 2017

Practice Ownership

Founder, KJ Hartwell, LLC —Therapy Practice

Founder, Thoughtfully Elevating® — Coaching Practice

Education

George Mason University | BA, Psychology; Minor, Conflict Analysis & Resolution

Bowie State University | MA, Mental Health Counseling, Adlerian track

My life is full and layered, just like yours.

You'll find me at the beach, on a tennis court, kayaking, or in a new coffee shop I've been meaning to try. I love traveling, spending time with my partner, family, and friends, trying new recipes, going to musical theater, and strength training.

I collect moments of joy wherever I can find them and I believe that your healing should make space for that kind of fullness too. This work isn't just about reducing suffering. It's about building a life that actually feels worth living.

outside the therapy room

Ready to stop performing your success and start feeling it?

book a free consult