Badass Therapy for People in Kentucky
Badass Therapy for People in Kentucky
For those who hold a lot together on the outside while feeling anxious or disconnected inside.
For those who hold it all together on the outside while feeling anxious and overwhelmed or disconnected and defeated inside.
You probably appear to function well on the outside. Other people think you have all your shit together - admiring how much you get done, or they are impressed with “how well you handled that.”
You think deeply (you think a LOT), care deeply (too much probably), and you always seem to figure out the best plan or course of action (eventually). And still, the same stuff keeps showing up in your relationships or your sense of self, and you just feel run down all the time.
Most people who come here are smart, capable, and have already overcome a lot. My clients want to know, "Was that trauma or just regular crappy?" They have identity questions, complicated relationship dynamics, or problematic long-standing family patterns that don’t go away just because they finally start to see or understand them. It's like, "Okay, now what do I do?
This is a place to slow down and work with what’s underneath all of that, not just manage it better.
You’re Not Too Much Here
You don’t have to edit yourself, calm yourself down, or make your experiences more palatable here. The parts of you that learned to be intense, vigilant, guarded, or loud had reasons. This work makes room for all of that without trying to fix or flatten you. Over time, you get to take up space without bracing for pushback.
More Mental Clarity
Clearer Boundaries
More Like Yourself
Stop Saying Sorry so Much!
Diving Deep
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EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. I know, it sounds weird, but give it a chance because it's freaky how good this stuff works.
It’s a research-backed therapy that helps your brain and nervous system process experiences that still feel stuck. If something from the past still shapes how you react or protect yourself now, EMDR can help it feel less intense and more settled.
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Mindfulness is about learning how to stay with what’s happening in your body, especially when things feel uncomfortable.
Instead of pushing reactions away or getting pulled into them, we practice noticing them with more steadiness and less judgment. Over time, that awareness creates more choice. You can pause instead of reacting automatically and stay present during hard moments without needing to control or disappear.
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For many people, trauma didn’t come from a single event. It came from growing up or living in relationships that were emotionally intense, unpredictable, or unsafe to navigate openly.
Recovering from that kind of trauma means working with how your system learned to stay alert, manage emotions, or keep the peace. This work helps those survival patterns soften, so you’re not constantly bracing, overfunctioning, or second-guessing yourself in relationships long after the threat has passed.
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Relationship work here is a space for curiosity and growth. In individual therapy, we explore the patterns you bring into relationships, how you communicate, protect yourself, or get stuck, and what’s shaped those dynamics over time.
In couples therapy, we focus on how partners relate in real time. Communication, intimacy, and conflict are all part of the work as you build understanding, flexibility, and connection together.
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Life is short, be as queer as you want.
Whether you are queer, coming out later in life, or exploring your sexuality in a hetero-presenting relationship, this work makes room for you. You don’t have to translate your experience or tone yourself down. Your identity, relationships, desire, and history all belong here.
About The Mindful Practice of Kentucky
About The Mindful Practice of Kentucky
Courtney Garner
I’m Courtney Garner, Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I created Mindful in Kentucky to offer a kind of therapy that goes deeper than surface-level coping, especially for people who are thoughtful, self-aware, and tired of managing everything on their own.
My background is in trauma work, starting early in my career with young children and families. That foundation shapes how I work with adults today. I’m trained in EMDR and am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, with a strong focus on how trauma, relationships, and identity shape the way people move through the world. I’ve also spent years working in psychiatric hospital settings, supporting people navigating anxiety, suicidality, and complex emotional experiences.
I’m deeply committed to social justice and equity, not just in theory, but in how I show up as a therapist, a parent, and a human. I’ve studied LGBTQ health promotion internationally and love working with queer folks, people exploring identity later in life, and those navigating relationships that don’t fit traditional molds.
Frequently Asked Questions
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I work with badass women and queer folk. Many are thoughtful, self-aware, and tired of repeating the same patterns in their relationships or inner lives.
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Yes. I work with couples who want to do all the regular stuff, like improve communication, understand recurring dynamics, and build more connection and flexibility in their relationships. I also work with couples interested in ethical non-monogamy, and family dynamics that are polyamorous.
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Abso-freakin-lutely! This is a queer-affirming space. I work with queer folks, including people coming out later in life, exploring sexuality in hetero-presenting relationships, and navigating nontraditional relationship structures. You don’t have to explain or justify who you are here.
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I work virtually with clients across Kentucky. Online therapy allows us to do deep, consistent work without the added stress of logistics or location.
If you’re in Lexington and really want to meet in person, we can always take it to the Arboretum and go for a walk. Therapy and Plants. We can go on one of those stupid-mental-health-walks that everyone is always bragging about taking :)
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While I do not directly accept insurance, I will work really hard to help you get reimbursed by your insurance, if possible.
I work with Mentaya, a service that helps clients check out-of-network benefits and submit claims for reimbursement. If your plan includes out-of-network coverage, Mentaya can help you understand what may be available to you and handle the reimbursement process.
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Sessions are typically 50 to 60 minutes. They’re conversational, grounded, and responsive to what’s showing up for you.
If you want a relaxed session, we can do that.
Sometimes you might be like, “Okay, no. I don’t want to just talk about it. I want to work on this.” Great. I can do that, too. I can shift gears and bring more structure, more direction, more actual interventions.
This is a place where you belong and don’t have to perform or explain yourself. The work here is about helping things feel less stuck and more workable over time. A consultation is the next step to talk through whether this feels like the support you’ve been looking for.