Meet Kara Johnson Martone | Therapist – Educator – Activist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kara Johnson Martone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kara, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
While growing my therapy practice and looking to bring on additional therapists, I quickly realized that the accepted structure for group practice was based on a hierarchical model. I recognized that not only did I want to serve my clients with respect and equality, I also wanted to build a business that was centered on mutual trust and that transcended inherent power inequities. In collaboration with six other therapists we created The Liberation Coalition, a non-hierarchical collective of mental health professionals. Each therapist owns an equal part of the business, with no one person serving as the CEO or “boss.” The model is aimed at pooling resources and ideas to better serve clients while creating an inclusive work environment. 70% of the therapists at The Liberation Coalition are from an underrepresented background.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As a queer person it’s impossible to exist in the world without risk. As the supreme court rules in favor of discriminating against the LGBTQIA+ community it is a risk to market my identities and ideologies. I believe therapy is inherently political, and therefore it is impossible for me to divorce myself from my identities as a therapist and business owner. This risk has resulted in hate mail and harassment and makes prioritizing safety real and layered. In addition, I made the shift from part time self employment to full time at the end of 2019 just before COVID hit the world. In spite of all of this risk, I have been able to sustain growth year to year. I have found that safety becomes inherently less safe if you cannot be yourself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I think the ideal way to spend time with loved ones is around a body of water. I always love to take a trip out of town to Grand Lake or Evergreen. I am always on the hunt for places where we can talk and enjoy one another with a gorgeous patio or view.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Before starting The Liberation Coalition I read Reinventing Organizations: A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next State of Human Consciousness by Nelson Parker. This book opened my mind to new ways of structuring business, and creating environments of trust, and transparency. This book provided some of the first examples I had ever seen about business divesting from harmful power dynamics and prioritizing humanity. The many examples and through research provided by this book allowed me to see new ways of conceptualizing business, income and economy. I was able to visualize a community in which diversity is truly an asset and competition is not necessary for success. I still reference this book today when hitting roadblocks or in search of inspiration.

Website: theliberationcoalition.com

Instagram: @theliberationcoalition

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

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