We’ve shared the story of how we met more times than we can count, and it still feels meaningful each time. Starting our business together wasn’t easy, but the journey has shaped us in profound ways. It’s touched the lives of our clients, supported the practitioners we’ve had the honor to train, and transformed us personally as well. We definitely make a great team as we bring together our shared values and complementary strengths.
One Presentation Started It All
One day when Cara was working at a local community mental health agency, the opportunity presented itself to attend a short presentation on Guided Imagery and Music (GIM). During the workshop Erin played various pieces of music and asked people to listen deeply and then share what came up for them. Cara was blown away by the presentation. On an impulse, as she was closing the presentation Erin offered a free GIM session to the first three people who contacted her. Cara immediately came up with her calendar and went on to complete GIM training and eventually also became a trainer. All thanks to that GIM session Erin offered on the spot that one momentous day!
The Evolution of Open 2 the Journey
We started back in 2008 as Integrative Music Institute when we began teaching GIM together. As we expanded our creative and healing offerings, our name has shifted and grown right alongside us. The next evolution was Integrative Transformations which better reflected the full scope of counseling, training, and personal workshops that we offered at the time. And then, a few years ago the name Open 2 the Journey came to us in an imagery and visioning session. We appreciate the journey we have had together and it feels important to also share the individual paths that brought us here.
Individual Journeys, Shared Vision
Erin’s journey into the counseling profession began with both determination and a touch of serendipity. Growing up in a working-class family in Ft. Lauderdale, she became the first in her family to attend college. She started at her local community college where a simple notice on a student message board changed the course of her life: an invitation to volunteer in a peer counselor training program. She then transferred to the University of Florida, where she earned her B.A. in Psychology. With this newfound sense of direction, Erin pursued her M.Ed. in Counseling at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. There, she immersed herself in a year-long internship providing home-based counseling for at-risk youth and families. Stepping into the homes of families facing profoundly difficult circumstances, she felt humbled and honored by their trust. This experience not only deepened her compassion but also affirmed her calling to the work she continues today.
Cara’s path was influenced by growing up in a family that moved several times, which gave her the chance to experience three very different public school settings — a large city in the North, a mid-size beach town in the South, and a rural community in the Midwest. These early experiences sparked her natural curiosity about people and their lives which initially led to a focus on teaching while pursuing her B.A. in Physical Education and Secondary Education Biology at Marietta College. Teaching and coaching are what led her to graduate school at Shippensburg University. She started out focused on a College Student Administration track while balancing an internship in the athletic department. However, the introductory counseling classes profoundly expanded her perspective, so much so that she shifted her focus to College Counseling.
As you can see each of our paths into counseling were shaped by different experiences, yet what draws us to the profession unites us in a shared vision. Cara’s dedication to exploring diverse counseling perspectives and Erin’s deep honor in being invited into people’s lives both reflect a commitment to healing, growth, and transformation. Together, we bring ourselves as the primary instrument of change, creating a joint sense of purpose that guides our work as a team.
Guiding the Journey: Our Counseling Approach
In our work at Open 2 the Journey, we believe it’s essential that those seeking counseling feel confident in the training and integrity of their providers. We are both Licensed Professional Counselors through the Virginia Board of Counseling, and Erin also holds a license as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Beyond our clinical work, we are dedicated teachers and trainers: both of us are Fellows and Primary Trainers with the Association for Music and Imagery, MARI (Mandala Assessment Research Instrument) Certified Practitioners and Teachers, and Certified EMDR Clinicians (EMDR-C) through Evergreen Certifications.
In our individual counseling practices, we bring together a wide range of approaches to meet the unique needs of each client, including:
- Guided Imagery and Music & Integrative Imagery
- EMDR & Parts work
- Mindfulness & somatically based approaches
- Experiential & expressive arts
- MARI & Drawn Mandala
- Solution Focused & Cognitive Behavioral therapies
- Coaching to support wellness, creativity, and spirituality
Centering the therapeutic relationship as the heart of the healing process, we value each person just as they are and offer a safe space for healing, growth, and transformation. We see counseling as an evolving journey of becoming, one we are honored to walk alongside our clients.
The Heart Behind Our Personal Wellness Offerings & Clinical Trainings
At the core of our work is a simple but powerful desire: to share the kinds of meaningful experiences that have deeply shaped our own lives. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to participate in transformative journeys — from spiritual retreats in Mexico and hikes through the wild beauty of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, to meditation immersions and spiritual women’s circles devoted to ongoing inner exploration. These experiences have nourished us, inspired us, and expanded our sense of what’s possible. Naturally, they also fuel our wish to create and offer spaces like these for others.
We’re passionate about providing both personal wellness workshops and clinical training. Designing new offerings and reimagining those we’ve led before keeps our work vibrant and alive. And participants often say they value our balance of humor, lightness, depth, and sacredness. One consistent piece of feedback we receive is how needed these spaces are — places where people can spend a few hours, a day, or a weekend in a supportive, engaging environment. Here, you can explore creativity, deepen your relationship with yourself, and do so in the company of others on a similar path.
What makes our gatherings unique is, quite honestly, us — the way we hold space, the way we guide, and the way we bring people together. We know that the best way to understand what we offer is to experience it firsthand: to join a circle, step into a workshop, and feel what unfolds when intention, community, and curiosity meet.
Our clinical training offerings are also evolving as we become more intentional about where and how we devote our energy. We find deep joy and inspiration in our ongoing conversations about creating workshops, teaching, training, and presenting – including our 2024 Psychotherapy Networker Symposium presentation “The Healing Power of Guided Imagery.” This focused on how therapists can use the Integrative Imagery framework to weave imagery techniques into their existing approaches.
Join Our Personal Wellness Events & Clinical Training
If you have any questions about our offerings, feel free to contact us.
- See All Our Upcoming Clinical Training Events
- See All Our Upcoming Personal Wellness Events
