Why Counseling? The beginning…
Carmen Klenner began teaching with a degree in elementary education (1-8) and adaptive education (1-9). Noticing the need to teach to the “whole child,” Carmen enrolled at Concordia University - Mequon for her Master’s degree as a School Counselor. Since 2004, she has been an elementary and middle school teacher as well as a preK-5th grade School Counselor, with the majority of her teaching experiences at the middle school level. In 2016, with the support of her husband, she returned to Concordia for her certification in Professional Counseling. She began working at Hartford Counseling as in intern in September of 2017 and had since completed her certification for LPC and CSAC as she continues to work with multi-aged clients.
Professional Approach
As a member of the Hartford Counseling team, Carmen is well-equipped to effectively her clients explore possibilities pertaining to personal, family, educational, mental health, and career decisions. Her main goal is to help her clients create meaningful patterns within the environment in which they live, work, and play. Carmen’s natural demeanor of openness and empathy help her clients gain a sense of security and empowerment, so she can purposefully assist the clients with whom she works.
Carmen’s strategies and skills are geared towards promoting, developing, and enhancing effective teamwork within the larger community. As theories change and new research is added, she is under the belief that it is her responsibility to stay up-to-date on current research and practices to best meet the needs of her clients. Each client comes with individual goals in mind, therefore, it is Carmen’s philosophy that each client requires a personalized treatment plan to best address client needs and help him or her progress to a healthy level of life satisfaction.
Confidentiality
Client care is Carmen's top concern. She treats each client with compassion and understanding, yet encourages her clients to also consider life realities and possibilities to improve their current situations. Client information is kept confidential and will not be shared unless the client is in imminent danger of hurting him/herself or others, in which case the proper community resources will be contacted. Current Practice
Currently, Carmen is a part-time School Counselor at a local elementary school in Washington County. She recently completed the internship track of her professional counseling journey, earning her LPC (licensed professional counselor) and CSAC (clinical substance abuse counselor). She is working under the supervision of Dr. Thomas Lehmann, psychologist, out of Brookfield, WI at the Matthew Project, LLC and Life Span Family Services. Carmen is located at the Hartford Counseling Office in Hartford, WI.
Family and Community Connections
Residing in the Washington County with her husband, Ryan, and three children, Carmen is an active member of the community. When he children were younger she coacher volleyball, co-leading her daughter's Girl Scout troop, volunteered as a concession stand coordinator at her children's elementary school. Carmen also served as a volunteer NAMI Teen Connection and currently serves as a QPR instructor, advocating for and understanding the seriousness mental health can have on one’s overall well-being.
Carmen Klenner Reaches
Hartford WI