Karyna Auletta has known she wanted to be a therapist ever since she was 13 and discovered the profession on an episode of Freaky Friday. Fifteen years later and she is a certified clinical psychologist with a focus on family therapy.

But Karyna is not just any kind of therapist. “I’m a modern therapist, and that has made all the difference in the success of my clients,” she tells me.

I sat down with Karyna to understand what a “modern therapist” is and learn how to get there.

Who is a Modern Therapist?

“Most people think a therapist is someone with glasses who looks intimidating, is going to judge you, be quiet, uncomfortable and just ask how you are feeling,” Karyna shares with me. And while it’s somewhat true, Karyna hopes to let the world know that “we are not all like that.”

A modern therapist is someone who is in it with you. Who understands your need to build trust, who does not dictate your life but helps you identify the patterns in your life to make the changes you need. Someone you can be at ease with while still maintaining a professional relationship, a human being, and not an automaton.

How to Become a Modern Therapist

I asked Karyna if it was possible to switch from a regular to a modern therapist, and she assured me it was possible. All you need to do is:

Learn Everyday

The regular therapist pretends to be all-knowing, but the modern therapist is honest about what she does and doesn’t know and makes efforts to fill in their knowledge gap.

Karyna has been diligent in her pursuit of knowledge. She graduated from Pepperdine with a 4.0 GPA, and she has credentials in MAP, Seeking Safety, and Tripple P Parenting for Teens.

She also draws inspiration from successful people in her field. “I love learning from other therapists and my peers, she tells me.” The Gottman Couple and Dr. Jenn Mann, in particular, are some of her biggest influences. She says, “their interventions and conceptualizations are very useful when discussing relationships.”

Keep things Fun

I asked Karyna how she would describe her approach to therapy, and she said, “I’m very interactive and fun.”

Don’t misunderstand. Therapy is a lot of work, and you must work at it before you see results. However, keeping the sessions light and fun is also a crucial piece of the puzzle. “Most clients feel like they are my friend, and that makes them more comfortable to show up as their authentic selves,” Karyna reveals.

Be Empathetic

You cannot be a good therapist if you don’t have empathy. Empathy involves being able to sense a person’s emotions, understand them and relate to them.

“Empathy can be such a strong driving force,” Karyna tells me. “You need to have a lot of it to hold so many emotions and endure it all.”

Stay True to Yourself

Many therapists are under the misconception that they must become someone else to do their jobs well. Karyna vehemently disagrees. “Be yourself,” she says to me. “You’re not perfect, and if nothing else, the best thing you can do for your clients is to be there for them. The clients need to know you’re human just like them.”

Find an Outlet

Therapy is very demanding on both sides. The client has to learn to discover themselves, and the therapist must open themselves to the many emotions their clients are feeling. “It is not an easy profession, but it is fulfilling to those who hold empathy and passion for others.”

Learning to deal with the stress of the job is a must for a modern therapist. For Karyna, that release is music. “Music gets me out of my head, makes things fun, and keeps me going,” she says.

Keep up with the trends.

As a therapist, you must be relatable, and you can’t do that if you are unaware of what matters to your clients. Karyna’s clients are mostly young people, so she keeps up with all the new developments in social media.

Apart from being relatable, being social media savvy has also helped Karyna on her mission to eradicate mental health stigma. Instagram and Tik Tok have been valuable tools in this regard.

“People really trust the media, so if you can find a good GIF or video to share, it adds entertainment and validity to the issue you’re trying to bring insight to.”

Conclusion

Karyna is not done. She’s making plans for a speaking tour focusing on removing mental health stigma. She’s partnering with Katie Cheadle, a therapist and performance coach, to host a table talk to break mental health stigma in various careers. She plans to apply her modern therapist outlook and help her clients live victorious lives through all this.