Karla Santiago, LCPC, LPC, LMHC
Karla Santiago, LCPC, LPC, LMHC, is a dedicated mental health professional with over 10 years of experience in clinical services and supervision. Licensed in Maryland, Florida, and Pennsylvania, she began her career as a school counselor her first passion and has since gained extensive experience across diverse settings, including county government, state and local agencies, and school systems. She earned her Bachelor’s in Social Work from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University School of Education in 2014, becoming the first in her family to achieve both degrees.
Currently, Karla serves as a Clinical Supervisor at Hazel Health, where she oversees 18 to 20 therapists while maintaining her own caseload providing one-to-one services to students. In this role, she provides case consultation, clinical oversight, mentorship, and training in crisis intervention and safety planning. Her focus is on creating supportive, inclusive environments for clinicians so they can deliver high-quality, culturally responsive care. Her work aligns with Hazel Health’s mission to provide accessible mental health services to underserved communities, including Spanish-speaking populations she is particularly passionate about serving.
Growing up in a community with limited access to Spanish-speaking mental health professionals inspired Karla to enter this field. Her father’s career as a police officer and detective and her mother’s work as a paralegal gave her insight into the needs of her community. Beyond her current clinical and supervisory work, Karla aspires to return to the nonprofit sector in a leadership role, expanding access to care for underserved populations. She is committed to building true community within mental health spaces and ensuring professionals are supported to maintain balance while offering compassionate care to those they serve.
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Maryland
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Florida
• Licensed in Pennsylvania
• University of Maryland Baltimore County - BSW, Social Work
• Johns Hopkins University School of Education - MSCMHC
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith. I'm definitely anchored in Jesus, and making sure that I also have my family. I have a really good faith and family support system that is really helpful, especially when things are super challenging and I need a place to go to talk to somebody. I have the ability to have a really good support system in place, which is something that I take a lot of pride in, because I've built those supports around me as I've grown in my career. So I have a space where I can be me and also be able to regroup and come back and continue the work that I do. I'm also really passionate about people and having access to care - making sure everyone has the opportunity to get the mental health support they need.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've learned along the way is that it's really essential to connect with colleagues in your field. The most professional growth that I've had was during my time in the county, where I had older clinical staff members that were friends of mine who helped me. This idea of really teaching each other and having that support in the workplace is the greatest thing that any clinician can have. It's a really good opportunity to learn not only from others, but then to be able to turn around and teach those same skills and things that school just doesn't teach you. The space where you work makes a difference in how you go through life as a clinician.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say, don't be scared. Make sure that you are taking advantage of the opportunities in this field in terms of continuous learning opportunities. Put yourself in a place to have good resources and have a space where you can go to when you do feel depleted. Keep an open mind and always be curious about wanting to know more. I also tell people to reach out to other individuals that are in the field - the worst thing that can happen is that they don't respond, and that's it. The best thing is that you can make a new connection and you have another opportunity for networking or for just growth. I've had random young people send me requests on LinkedIn, and I love those mentoring opportunities and opportunities for connection. As a Spanish speaker, sometimes we get pigeonholed to just being the bilingual person in the room, and I would always say that we're beyond just the bilingual person in the room. People should consider their identity outside of what the workplace gives you.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is making sure that mental health professionals feel supported. I want to be in a space where I can make mental health spaces feel like actual community. In this very busy field, support isn't always available, and I want to make sure that my team is supported, whether that's via Slack in a conversation or hopping into a quick meeting so we can be face-to-face. My biggest thing is bringing up clinicians in this field that are able to have good balance for their life and also provide great quality service to clients. The biggest challenge is making sure that in this very heavy field, we're able to still provide support for clinicians who are up and coming.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I really value integrity. I think that there is something to say about what you do when no one's watching it really speaks to who you are as a person. I think we have to be people of integrity in order to do this work very well. I would also say respect, which kind of goes with the integrity piece. Another value is growth just wanting a space where I can continue to have growth. I think growth is a value that a lot of people can aspire to, but don't always know how to achieve.