Life isn't always easy. Whether we're facing anxiety, navigating a difficult season, grieving a loss, or simply trying to balance the many responsibilities of everyday life, we all need someone who will truly listen without judgment. For Gina Karwatka, helping people find hope and healing isn't just a profession—it's been her life's calling for more than three decades.

As the founder of Karwatka Group Behavioral Health, Gina has dedicated her career to walking alongside individuals, couples, and families as they work through life's challenges. Her approach is rooted in compassion, evidence-based care, and the belief that lasting change doesn't happen overnight—it happens through small, intentional steps that build confidence, resilience, and hope over time.

Gina's journey into social work began in 1995 after earning her Bachelor of Social Work from West Texas A&M University. She later completed her Master of Social Work at Indiana University and has continued to pursue advanced training in a variety of specialized therapies, including trauma treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and several other evidence-based approaches. Throughout her career, she has worked with children, families, foster parents, veterans, couples, and individuals who have experienced some of life's most difficult circumstances.

Much of her early career was spent serving children and families impacted by abuse, neglect, trauma, and family disruption. Those experiences shaped not only her professional skills but also her deep understanding that every person's story is unique. That philosophy continues to guide her work today.

After relocating to the Upstate with her husband, Alex, in 2022, Gina and her family quickly fell in love with Greenville's welcoming community, beautiful parks, and incredible quality of life. Inspired by the area's growth and strong sense of community, she opened Karwatka Group Behavioral Health in 2023 with a vision of creating a practice where clients receive truly personalized care in a warm, relationship-centered environment.

Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, Gina believes therapy should be as unique as the person sitting across from her. Every treatment plan is tailored to each client's goals, values, and circumstances. Sessions focus not only on meaningful conversations but also on practical tools clients can use between appointments, helping them make steady progress long after they leave the office.

Today, Karwatka Group Behavioral Health has grown into a talented team of clinicians who share Gina's passion for helping others. Together they provide individual, couples, and group therapy while offering specialized care for trauma recovery, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, life transitions, military families and veterans, postpartum challenges, relationship counseling, faith integration, religious hurt, emotional regulation, and more. The practice is also proud to offer Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), giving clients another highly effective option for processing trauma and distressing life experiences.

One of the things that truly sets Gina's practice apart is her commitment to creating an environment where both clients and clinicians can thrive. She believes exceptional care begins with therapists who are supported, encouraged, and given the freedom to develop their own areas of expertise. By investing in her team, she creates an atmosphere where clients receive thoughtful, compassionate, and fully engaged care.

Gina's passion for serving others extends far beyond the walls of her practice. She enjoys partnering with local businesses, schools, churches, healthcare providers, and community organizations to provide educational workshops on topics such as stress management, burnout prevention, healthy boundaries, emotional wellness, communication, trauma awareness, and workplace resilience. She believes stronger communities are built when people have access to both quality mental health care and meaningful relationships.

When asked what advice she would share with our readers, Gina didn't hesitate.

"One of the most powerful questions we can ask ourselves is, 'Is this mine to hold?'" she says. It's a simple question, but one that has the power to change how we respond to life's challenges. Gina explains that many of us carry burdens, worries, and responsibilities that were never ours to carry. Learning to recognize what belongs to us—and what doesn't—can reduce anxiety, strengthen relationships, establish healthier boundaries, and bring greater peace into our daily lives.

Outside of work, Gina enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, traveling, creating art, and exploring local, state, and national parks. She and Alex have been married for 34 years and are proud parents of four children, along with recently welcoming a future daughter-in-law into the family. They chose Greenville because of its family-friendly atmosphere, beautiful scenery, and endless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, and they couldn't be happier to call the Upstate home.

For Gina, helping people heal isn't about fixing every problem overnight. It's about meeting people where they are, helping them discover their own strengths, and reminding them that even the smallest steps forward can lead to extraordinary change.

If you or someone you love has been considering counseling, Karwatka Group Behavioral Health offers a welcoming place to begin that journey—with compassion, understanding, and hope.

Karwatka Group Behavioral Health
📍 33 Market Point Drive, Greenville, SC
📍 770 Pelham Road, Greenville, SC
📞 (864) 679-0510
📧 intake@kgbh.net

The practice offers in-person counseling in Greenville as well as telehealth services throughout South Carolina, North Carolina, New Jersey, Colorado, and Louisiana, making quality mental health care accessible wherever clients may be.