Cara Hoepner

I worked with Cara for several months and found her to be highly knowledgeable and thorough in her approach. She clearly has expertise in her field and provides detailed, well-informed care. However, despite her competence, I ultimately decided to discontinue treatment due to ongoing concerns with her communication style and overall approach. After over 6 hours of meeting, we were still in intake and when I asked for a treatment roadmap to better understand the process, I was met with visible frustration and told that there was no plan, and that I shouldn’t be asking. This made me feel dismissed rather than supported. Additionally, I found that the level of empathy and collaboration I expected in a healthcare setting was lacking, which left me feeling disregarded and dysregulated on more than one occasion. Although Cara knew that I had lost my high paying tech job just before I started seeing her, she had no qualms about flaunting my misfortune in my face and calling me a “low fee paying client” because I was seeing her on a sliding scale. Cara is brilliant at what she does - she was able to catch a few things that my previous provider of over 5 years had missed. But while I respect Cara’s knowledge and the care she provided, I believe that effective treatment requires not only expertise but also a patient-centered, empathetic approach. Unfortunately, I found the interactions to be more confrontational than supportive, and this dynamic ultimately impacted my ability to feel safe and respected in the therapeutic space. I felt very shaken up and a little traumatized after my relationship with Cara, that I had to take a break from seeing any providers. This may not be everyone’s experience, and I do think Cara can be a good fit for someone who requires an expert who is direct and brilliant. However, for those seeking a more collaborative and compassionate provider, it may be worth considering whether this approach aligns with your needs.

Cara communicates in an interesting way that saves everyone time. It took some getting used to, but I appreciate this about Cara now. Her direct manner is blunt and free. Cara is an excellent listener. She deals with multidimensional and complex mental health cases. Cara is holistic and always thinking of the body as a whole system of systems. Cara never lets me down in my standard of care. I am so grateful to have Cara on my care team. I don't think I would have survived without her help and care. Cara's knowledge and courage surpasses most in her field. I have hardly met another NP with more expertise. Thank you.