Meet Karla Sapp | Licensed Psychotherapist, Advocate, Researcher, Speaker, and Yoga Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karla Sapp and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karla, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
The social impact of my work extends far beyond the therapy room. While my practice is rooted in providing mental health services, my mission has always been larger than individual counseling, it’s about fostering healing, strengthening communities, and creating pathways for personal and systemic transformation.

Every day, I work with individuals who are navigating life’s challenges, whether that is trauma, anxiety, grief, burnout, relationship difficulties, major transitions, or simply trying to reconnect with themselves. When people heal, they show up differently in their families, workplaces, schools, faith communities, and neighborhoods. The impact of one person’s healing often reaches dozens of other lives, creating a ripple effect that extends throughout the community.

What makes my work especially meaningful is that, as a licensed psychotherapist, I provide therapeutic services to people across multiple states (Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, and Texas) and from diverse backgrounds. Through virtual therapy, I am able to remove some of the barriers that often prevent people from accessing care. Mental health support should not be a privilege reserved for a select few, it should be accessible, affirming, and available to those who need it.

My commitment to social impact also includes education and prevention. Through speaking engagements, workshops, community presentations, and professional trainings, I work to normalize conversations around mental health, emotional wellness, resilience, and self-care. I believe that when we equip people with knowledge and tools before they reach a crisis point, we create healthier individuals and stronger communities.

Another important aspect of my work is mentoring and developing future counselors and behavioral health professionals. The counseling profession is built on relationships, and I see mentorship as a way of multiplying impact. Every clinician I mentor has the potential to serve countless individuals and families throughout their career. In that way, investing in one professional can ultimately influence an entire community.

Advocacy is equally important to me. Throughout my career, I have used my voice to advocate for mental health awareness, access to care, counselor professional identity, rehabilitation-focused approaches within the justice system, and policies that support human dignity and well-being. I believe mental health professionals have a responsibility not only to help individuals navigate systems, but also to help improve the systems themselves.

My background in criminal justice and behavioral health has given me a unique perspective on social impact. Some of the populations I have worked with, including justice-involved individuals, people struggling with substance use, and those facing significant life challenges, are often overlooked or defined by their circumstances. My work has consistently focused on helping people see beyond labels and recognize the possibility of growth, restoration, and hope.

If I had to summarize the social impact of my business in one statement, it would be this: I help people heal, I help professionals grow, and I help communities become stronger. Whether through therapy, mentorship, consulting, speaking, wellness programming, research, or advocacy, my goal is to contribute to a world where people feel seen, supported, empowered, and capable of creating meaningful change in their own lives and in the lives of others.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I reflect on my career, I realize that the common thread has always been people. Long before I earned degrees, licenses, certifications, or professional titles, I was interested in understanding people: their struggles, their strengths, their stories, and their ability to rise above circumstances that might otherwise define them.

My career has taken me into spaces that many people would consider vastly different: juvenile justice, corrections, behavioral health, private practice, higher education, research, advocacy, leadership, and wellness. Yet for me, those spaces have always been connected. Whether I was working with a young person on probation, an incarcerated individual seeking a new path forward, a therapy client processing trauma, or a policymaker considering legislation, the question remained the same: How do we create conditions where people can heal, grow, and thrive?

I believe what sets me apart is my ability to see the whole person and the whole system at the same time. My work is not limited to what happens inside a counseling office. I am interested in the larger factors that shape people’s lives: family, community, education, economic opportunity, trauma, policy, and social connection. That perspective has allowed me to bridge counseling, criminal justice, research, advocacy, and wellness in a way that feels authentic to who I am.

Professionally, I am most proud of building a career that did not require me to choose between my passions. I have been able to maintain a thriving clinical practice, contribute to scholarship, mentor emerging professionals, advocate for meaningful change, and create wellness experiences that help people reconnect with themselves. I am especially grateful that my work continues to extend beyond the individuals I meet directly. Through my writing, speaking, research, and advocacy, I have the opportunity to contribute to conversations that can influence systems, communities, and future generations.

The road to where I am today was anything but easy. There were moments when resources were limited, opportunities felt out of reach, and the path forward was unclear. There were professional disappointments, personal sacrifices, and seasons when I had to keep moving despite uncertainty. As someone who came from a small rural community, I often found myself entering rooms where I had no blueprint and few examples of people who looked like me doing the work I aspired to do.

What helped me navigate those challenges was a commitment to growth and a willingness to keep showing up. I learned that confidence is often built through action, not before it. I learned that every experience, good or difficult, contains a lesson if we are willing to receive it. Most importantly, I learned that success is not about becoming someone else; it is about becoming more fully yourself.

The lessons I’ve learned along the way have become the foundation of my work. I’ve learned that healing is possible even when circumstances seem impossible. I’ve learned that people deserve to be seen beyond labels and limitations. I’ve learned that leadership requires courage, especially when advocating for those whose voices are often unheard. And I’ve learned that lasting impact comes from consistency more than visibility.

If there is one thing I want the world to know about me, it is that my work is deeply personal. Every role I hold: therapist, researcher, advocate, author, mentor, educator, and wellness practitioner, is rooted in a belief that people deserve opportunities to heal, belong, and become the fullest version of themselves.

My brand is not built around a title or a profession. It is built around transformation. I want people to know that I believe in restoration over resignation, growth over limitation, and possibility over circumstance. My story is proof that where you begin does not have to determine where you end up. And if my journey demonstrates anything, I hope it shows that purpose, perseverance, and a commitment to serving others can take you farther than you ever imagined.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend came to visit for a week, I would tell them to come prepared, not just for sightseeing, but for stories. The places I would take them are places that have shaped me, challenged me, grounded me, and reminded me of who I am.

We’d begin in Tallahassee, Florida, the city I now call home. Our first morning would start at The Bada Bean for breakfast because every good Southern adventure begins with good food and good conversation. From there, we’d take a walk through Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park. I love starting there because it’s peaceful, beautiful, and reflective of how I try to move through life these days, more intentionally, more present, and more connected to nature.

That evening, we’d head downtown, stopping by Cascades Park before dinner. Tallahassee is often overlooked, but it has a unique charm. It sits at the intersection of politics, education, history, and Southern culture, and I think that’s part of what makes it special.

The second day would focus on history and culture. We’d visit the John G. Riley Center & Museum and spend time learning about the African American experience in Tallahassee. Then we’d head to the Knott House Museum, where the Emancipation Proclamation was read in Florida. As a therapist and educator, I am always interested in how history shape’s identity, resilience, and community. Places like these remind us that the stories we inherit continue to influence the lives we live.

Then we’d leave Tallahassee and make our way toward the Georgia coast.

The moment we crossed into Liberty County, the tour would become deeply personal.

I’d take them to Midway, Georgia, my hometown. We’d drive the roads I grew up on, pass familiar neighborhoods, and visit places that helped shape my understanding of community, I would tell them about growing up in a small town where people knew your grandparents, your parents, and often expected something from you because they knew where you came from. I’d share stories about being a Girl Scout and learning lessons about service, leadership, integrity, and standing firm in your convictions, lessons that still guide me as a therapist, advocate, and leader today.

One of our first stops would be the Historic Dorchester Center. Originally founded as the Dorchester Academy in 1866 to educate newly freed African Americans, it later became a significant site for the Civil Rights Movement, hosting leadership development efforts connected to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. For me, it represents the power of education, advocacy, and community transformation, values that continue to influence my work as a therapist, educator, and advocate.

What many people don’t realize is that Liberty County played an important role in our nation’s founding. I’d make sure we stopped at the historic Midway Museum and discuss the remarkable fact that two Georgia signers of the Declaration of Independence, Lyman Hall and Button Gwinnett, have ties to this region. Midway was known as a center of revolutionary thought in colonial Georgia. Long before independence was declared, the people of Midway were actively advocating for freedom and self-governance.

I love sharing that history because it reminds people that this small coastal community had an outsized impact on the development of our country. It also reflects something I’ve always appreciated about Midway: the willingness of ordinary people to stand for what they believe is right, even when it isn’t easy.

From there, we’d continue into neighboring McIntosh County, where I would share one of the parts of my family history that I hold closest to my heart, our ties to the Original McIntosh County Shouters.

We’d spend time in Darien, speaking with my Uncle Freddie, learning about the Ring Shout tradition, one of the oldest surviving African American cultural and spiritual traditions in the United States. The Ring Shout preserves African rhythms, movement, song, and communal worship practices that survived enslavement and were passed from generation to generation.

For me, this isn’t simply a cultural demonstration or historical presentation. It’s family. It’s heritage. It’s a living connection to ancestors whose resilience ensured that these traditions would endure. Standing in those spaces reminds me that culture survives because people are willing to protect it, honor it, and pass it forward.

I would want my friend to understand that when I speak about community, culture, belonging, and identity, I am speaking from a lineage of people who preserved history not through books alone, but through faith, storytelling, music, movement, and collective memory.

The next day, we’d head to Sapelo Island.

If there is one place on the itinerary that I believe every person should experience, it is Sapelo. We’d take the ferry across and spend the day learning about Hog Hammock and the Gullah Geechee community. There is something sacred about Sapelo Island. The pace is slower. The stories are deeper. The connection to heritage feels tangible.

As someone who spends much of my professional life helping people reconnect with themselves, I find Sapelo to be one of the few places where you can still feel connected to something larger than yourself.

The following day would be Savannah.

We’d begin at First African Baptist Church, one of the oldest Black churches in North America, and then visit the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum. We’d walk through Savannah’s historic squares, spend time in Forsyth Park, and explore River Street.

But what I love most about Savannah isn’t the architecture.

It’s the stories.

Savannah teaches you to slow down and listen. Every building, every church, every square has a story of struggle, triumph, faith, and resilience.

Toward the end of the week, we’d spend a day at Tybee Island or St. Simons Island. There would be no agenda. Just beach walks, good conversation, and the sound of the ocean.

As someone who teaches mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, and yoga, I believe some of life’s most important moments happen when we stop trying to fill every minute with activity. The coast has always been a place of restoration for me. It’s where I reflect, reconnect, and remember what matters.

On their final day, we’d gather with family if possible. There would be food. There would be stories. There would be laughter. There would probably be enough food for twice the number of people actually present.

And that’s exactly how it should be.

Because if I wanted someone to understand me, I wouldn’t start with my degrees, my titles, or my accomplishments. I’d introduce them to the places and people that shaped me.

I’d show them Tallahassee’s commitment to education and history. I’d show them Midway’s sense of community. I’d show them the cultural preservation of the Original McIntosh County Shouters. I’d show them the beauty of Sapelo Island and the enduring legacy of the Gullah Geechee people.

Most of all, I’d show them that the South is far more than a place on a map. It is a living story.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
If I had to dedicate a shoutout to the people and places that helped shape my story, it would begin with my parents, my children, my grandchildren, and my hometown of Midway, Georgia.

First, to my parents Charles (Mickey) and Fascia, thank you. Long before there were degrees, professional titles, publications, speaking engagements, or a business, there were two people who taught me the value of hard work, perseverance, faith, integrity, and treating people with respect. They may not have always known where my journey would lead, but they gave me the foundation that made the journey possible. Much of who I am today, personally and professionally, was built upon the lessons they modeled and the sacrifices they made.

To my children Khalea, Khaden, and Jazmine, thank you for being one of my greatest motivations. You have witnessed every version of me: the mom, the muntie, the student, the counselor, the doctoral candidate and now Doctor, the leader, the entrepreneur, the author, and the advocate. There were times when pursuing my goals required long hours, late nights, and difficult decisions, and through it all, you gave me purpose. You challenged me to grow, inspired me to keep going, and reminded me that success means very little if it doesn’t positively impact the people we love.

And to my grandchildren Snooga, Sunflower, Dooda, J-Man, J-Bug, and Bud: you may not fully understand it now, but you are part of the reason I continue to do this work. You represent possibility, legacy, and hope. When I think about the future I want to help create, I think about your generation. I want you to grow up in a world where mental health matters, where people are treated with dignity, where communities are stronger, and where you know that your dreams are not limited by your circumstances. You remind me that our work today creates opportunities for tomorrow.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t give a shoutout to my hometown of Midway, Georgia. Midway is more than a place on a map; it’s part of my story. It’s where many of my values were formed, where community mattered, where people knew one another, and where I learned some of life’s earliest lessons about resilience, connection, and service. No matter where my career has taken me, there is a part of me that will always be rooted there. Midway helped shape my work ethic, my sense of responsibility, and my commitment to giving back.

When people look at accomplishments, they often see the individual. What they don’t always see are the people, places, and experiences that helped make those accomplishments possible. I am proud of what I’ve achieved, but I know I didn’t get here alone.

So, my shoutout goes to my parents for giving me roots, my children for giving me purpose, my grandchildren for giving me vision, and Midway, Georgia, for giving me a place to call home.

They are all woven into my story, and for that, I am forever grateful.

Website: https://www.drkarlasapp.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drk_sapp

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlasapp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drksapp

Other: https://growtherapy.com/provider/pvu4z6t2r830/dr-karla-sapp?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/karla-sapp-midway-ga/1533406

Image Credits
Red Head Photography – Tallahassee, Florida