EP 324: Breaking Down Barriers: How Online Therapy Makes Mental Health Care Accessible

What makes Karisma Ishaq with Charisma Counseling PLLC a good neighbor?

Meet Karisma Ishaq, founder of Charisma Counseling PLLC, who's revolutionizing mental health care through her 100% virtual practice. With five years in private practice and a decade in the mental health field, Karisma brings expertise and compassion to adults, couples, and families struggling with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and relationship challenges.

What makes Karisma's approach refreshing is her belief that mental health support isn't just for those with severe diagnoses. "Sometimes it's just an acute problem or everyday struggle, or sometimes you just need someone to listen," she explains. This perspective makes therapy more accessible and less intimidating for those who might otherwise hesitate to seek help. The joy she derives from helping others shines through as she describes the fulfillment of seeing clients improve: "Something about them feeling better and I had a little bit of something to do with it makes me feel like I'm on a mountaintop."

Despite concerns some might have about virtual therapy lacking personal connection, Karisma guarantees clients quickly forget they're on a screen. The virtual format eliminates common barriers to mental health care—no fighting traffic, rushing from work, or rearranging schedules. Instead, clients open their laptops from wherever they are and receive the same quality care they'd get in person. This convenience factor has fueled the practice's growth through enthusiastic word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied clients. During our conversation, Karisma also takes a moment to debunk common mental health misconceptions, including the misuse of clinical terms like "bipolar" and "imposter syndrome."

To learn more about Charisma Counseling PLLC go to:
🌐 www.charismacounselingpllc.org

Charisma Counseling PLLC
📞 [phone]

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a privatecounseling practice?
Well, one might be closer thanyou think.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
Karisma Ishak.
With Charisma Counseling PLLC,Karisma, how are you today?
I'm good.
Thank you, Sophia.
Great.

(00:31):
Well, we are excited to learnall about you and your company.
Can you start by telling ourlisteners just a little bit
about your business?

Speaker 3 (00:39):
Sure, so I have a mental health practice that is a
private practice and we arecompletely, 100%, virtual.
We have been in privatepractice for about five years
now.
I've been in the industry for10 years and we handle clients,
mostly adult individuals,couples and families, and we see

(01:03):
people from a vast array ofanxiety, depression, ptsd, acute
stress disorder, bipolar.
So there's a different,different, you know, needs for
different, different people.
But if we can have the focalpoint that we can do it.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
So, karisma, how did you originally get into this
business?

Speaker 3 (01:47):
shelter.
So I have like differentexperiences, but private
practice really allows for me tosee those clients.
That is, your everyday hustle,bustle, struggle clients.
I think mental health sometimesis seen as such a like a big
deal, to the point where youhave to have like some kind of
huge diagnosis to get care for.
And sometimes it's not.
It's not that at all.
Sometimes it's just like aacute problem or it's a everyday

(02:10):
struggle, or sometimes it'sjust you need someone to listen
or talk out your thoughts withand private practice really
allows for me to do that.
I love the fact that it allowsme to take away from not having
to diagnose people.
It's like I can.
I have a lot more leverage inthe just kind of like the
freedom I have on privatepractice.

(02:32):
So it has always been a dreamof mine to have my own and run
it this way.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Wow.
Well, I can tell you reallyhave a heart for helping others.
Where did that kind of startfor you?

Speaker 3 (03:12):
Maybe it's selfish of me that.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
I get that joy.
I'm not quite sure, butsomething about them feeling
better and I had a little bit ofsomething to do with it makes
me like on a mountaintop.
I just feel so good.
No, I think that's definitelythe heart of a nurturer.
That's not at all selfish.
Now you're welcome.
What is the most common myth ormisconception you come across
in your industry?

Speaker 3 (03:33):
Sure.
So one of the most popular onesis calling people bipolar just
because they have, like, hot andcold moods.
That is definitely not whybipolar is.
Or we get a very famous onewhich is I have imposter
syndrome and that's not anactual syndrome, you know.
So there's a lot of streetwords that I think has been used
to kind of use it as a crutchand blame it on mental health,

(03:54):
when really they don't.
They're not actual diagnoses atall.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
Now, karisma, I know we talked about this a little
bit, but marketing is really theheart of every business.
How do you currently marketyour business, and let's go a
little bit more in depth on whoyour target customers are.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
Absolutely.
I have in my passion to reallywork with would be anxiety,
depression, trauma and acutestress disorder, and couples.
I love working with couples.
I love working with families,so this is where my niche is
really.
Marketing has been a strugglebecause we are 100% online, so

(04:39):
it's not like we have a brickand mortar where people can see
driving by.
It really is something that Iwould either have to be out
there for you to even know thatI exist.
But a lot of my clientele hasbeen from word of mouth, from
recommendations from currentclients.
I have many clients that returnto me and that's really been

(05:02):
like the driving force otherthan maybe being on insurance
panels as well has helped, butnot like I actually exposed
myself anywhere significant.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Now, have you ever thought about having your own
podcast?

Speaker 3 (05:18):
No, I have not.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
And outside of work.
What do you like to do for fun?

Speaker 3 (05:26):
It's going to sound cliche, but I do love to travel.
I travel a lot and I lovespending time with my family and
traveling with them andtraveling with my husband.
It definitely I get it.
Everyone loves to travel.
I understand that.
But I really love to travelLike it just brings my spirits

(05:49):
the highest.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
That's amazing.
Now please tell our listenersone thing they should remember
about Charisma Counseling, PLLC.

Speaker 3 (06:01):
One thing to remember is that, again, we are 100%
virtual and this sometimesscares people because they feel
like they won't get that humaninteraction.
And I cannot stress it enoughhow much you tend to forget
you're on a screen, that whenyou're working with me or you're

(06:22):
working with anyone in mypractice we really do have that
touch to where you forgetthere's a computer in the middle
and it really allows a lot ofpeople the convenience of
getting to mental health carethat otherwise they would have
to sit through traffic or theywould have to physically, you
know, get dressed or make it toan appointment, which is such,

(06:43):
you know, a pain from comingfrom their job or their school
or whatnot.
And this allows you to justopen up your computer anywhere
you are and not have to gothrough the struggle of getting
there.
And the human interaction isnot missing and I can guarantee
that.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
And where can our listeners go to learn more about
Charisma Counseling PLLC?

Speaker 3 (07:09):
Sure.
So we have a website.
It'swwwcharismacounselingplcorg, or
my staff can be emailed at adminat charismacounselingorg, at
charismacounselingorg, and wehave our office phone number
that I can provide, which is214-334-2163.

(07:31):
You can text this number, youcan call this number and if you
leave a voicemail, that we willmake sure to get back to that
voicemail within 24 to 48 hours.

Speaker 2 (07:42):
Well, Charisma, I really appreciate you being on
the show.
We wish you and your businessthe best moving forward.
Thank you so much, Sophia.

Speaker 1 (07:51):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go to GNPFriscocom.
That's GNPFriscocom, or call469-221-9345.