I attended UNC Chapel Hill as a Gates Millenium Scholar and Carolina Covenant Scholar. I graduated with a B.A. in Psychology with a double minor in Social & Economic Justice, and African-American Studies.

I then goes to NC State where I receives her Master of Social Work (MSW) in 2014, after volunteering in Guatemala, and doing my graduate capstone project in the Dominican Republic researching International Evaluation Design for an international non-profit program.

Immediately after graduate school I began my work at InterAct as the Youth Services Coordinator where my primary job responsibility was community education to children-adults around healthy relationships, IPV, and available service. I would train multiple groups a week, while also supporting crisis calls and running a children’s group with another affiliated non-profit, Safe Child.

My next non-profit would be 2017-2019 where I worked as the lead case manager for Project FIGHT a human trafficking crisis response program. In this role, my job was to manage the statewide team of cse managers, respond to emergency pickups and calls, provide case management for survivors, and provide trainings across the community. At this point I was fully licensed, as they wanted someone with a clinical background to support survivors and inform trauma informed programming.

My original introduction to clinical work was as a 2nd year MSW student where I was a Day Treatment Program Intern for the community mental health orzation Hope Services.

After initially beginning in non-profit work, I honestly needed more money, and began part-time work as an Outpatient Therapist with the same community mental health organization. Eventually, this transitioned to full time work. It was in community mental health where Erica first pursued training in DBT, and was provided training in TF-CBT (though not rostered) and ESFT (Ecosystemic Structural Family Therapy). It was also in community mental health where I questioned if the clinical field was for me. Though I exceeded the billable expectations, they were enormous, there was no real PTO, the benefits were disheartening, morale was low, and therapist pay was now sustainable. I worked in community mental health for just over 3 years. After a return to non-profit work, I returned to part time contract clinical work this time at a group practice. Initially, the pay was better, people seemed genuinely happy in their roles. I eventually transitioned into full time group practice work (after a brief stint with 4 jobs - community mental health, non-profit work x2, and this job). This is where I first opened my LLC turned PLLC, began clinical supervision, training under my own business, etc. I was trained and certified in EMDR Therapy and DBT during this time. Eventually I was promoted to Clinical Director of Child & Adolescent Therapy Services for 2 years, prior to transitioning to the Clinical Director of Trauma Therapy Services prior to my departure from the practice due to a vast difference in values…

Originally created in 2020 as an LLC, due to increasing income as a clinical supervisor and professional clinical consultant for other therapists, I was also beginning my training career. It converted to a PLLC once the group practice I was out put a cap on how many reduced rate clients we could see, and encouraged us to see as many as we wanted under our own practice.

Originally. Whole Mentality, PLLC was for reduced rate and pro-bono client work, clinical supervision, and training. At some point, when it became clear that anti-oppression, affirming and inclusive practice was not prioritized everywhere, I transitioned to full time private practice, under my PLLC as well.

While it wasn’t exactly the most planned transition - as it was triggered by values misalignment, I had fully prepared and equipped my business to accept clients, before I had to. I had also built the consultation, supervision, and training legs of my business to income that matched and/or exceeded the income I was making at the group practice.

At present, I run what is currently (stay tuned!) a solo private practice seeing clientele both in person and via telehealth. With a focus on trauma therapy using EMDR, DBT, and PRT. I also provide clinical supervision, have supervision contracts with 2 different NC practices, and have an established supervision program. I also support EMDR Therapy trainings, provide clinical consultation, and clinical trainings.

Due to an increase in requests for professional business consultation, and equity training outside of clinical work, Erica Kendra, LLC was established for all my non-clinical work (thank heavens for accountants!) Over time, Erica’s one-one-one consultation schedule became somewhat repetitive, and she launched her Embodied Practice Collective in 2024 to create more community among values centered clincains with a desire to create sustainable businesses that continue to provide quality clinical work, but don’t depend on the exclusively.