Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kore Brown.
Hi Dr. Kore , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Hi, I’m Dr. Kore Brown. I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Co-founder of a therapy clinic in San Diego called Clover Healing Collective. I did not always know I wanted to become a therapist, but I have always been fascinated by trying to understand why people are the way they are. That insatiable curiosity took me on a circuitous, interdisciplinary route to ultimately get me to where I am today. I’m excited to share a bit of that story with you!
I grew up in a very small town across the Puget Sound from Seattle called Suquamish, WA. Small town as in one gas station, one convenience store, and pretty much nothing else – not even a high school! Raised primarily by my single mom, and shaped by complex family dynamics, I became curious early on about how relationships impact our mental health. That curiosity eventually led me to study both English literature and neuroscience at UC Santa Barbara, where I explored the intersections of mental illness, creativity, and art, especially through the lens of poets like my favorite Sylvia Plath. I considered going to law school, or becoming a writer, but neither of those felt quite right…
So, after college, I ended up working in a corporate communications firm in San Francisco, advising companies through high-stakes crises like bankruptcies, leadership transitions, and litigation. While I learned great crisis management skills, I eventually realized I didn’t just want to help big corporations protect their bottom line. Instead, I wanted to help the real humans behind those companies thrive! That realization led me to go to my own therapist as a lost and confused girl in her 20s who was burnt out, anxious, and knew she wanted to get out of corporate consulting but did not know how. Through a lot of self reflection and exploration, I finally discovered a path that would encompass my fascination with human behavior and allow me to feel truly aligned for the first time professionally: becoming a therapist. I uprooted my life in San Francisco, quit my salaried, comfy, job, and moved to San Diego to pursue a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Doctorate in Psychology from Alliant International University. I waited tables, taught yoga, went to school full-time, and saw therapy clients to make ends meet. I hustled hard for the five years I was in graduate school, and looking back sometimes I can’t believe I did it. I had incredible support from my husband, friends and therapist community that helped me push through even in the moments I wanted to give up.
I always knew it was my dream to someday open my own clinic, and that dream became a reality in March 2025, when Clover Healing Collective opened its doors! Inspired by the four-leaf clover, our Clover Care Model helps clients heal by focusing on the four key aspects of a thriving life: healthy mind, body, relationships, and soul. I am so proud of the work we’re doing and extremely grateful for my Co-founder, Dr. Dale Coleman.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like all great adventures, there have definitely been road blocks along the way. One big surprise was the COVID-19 pandemic. In my second year of grad school, right when I was supposed to start seeing clients in person for the very first time as a therapist intern, the pandemic hit. Everything shut down and changed overnight. Learning to be a therapist quickly became learning to become a fully remote telehealth therapist with no prior training. As a new therapist, I was trying to support clients in complete unknown territory, while also freaking out myself. While it was challenging, I now look back with gratitude on that time. It showed me how to sit with people in the depths of their discomfort, fear, and uncertainty without having to “fix it” or have a plan. This skill is something I bring into my work every day, because much of therapy is not about telling people what to do, but rather un-isolating them in their pain and sitting together in the hard stuff. It’s about walking alongside them as they illuminate their own path forward, and celebrating their wins along the way to empower them.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Clover Healing Collective?
Clover Healing Collective is a trauma-informed therapy practice specializing in attachment-focused care for teens, adults, and couples. We support clients facing anxiety, trauma, depression, mood disorders, grief, relationship distress, and identity exploration. Our clinicians utilize evidence-based therapies such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to guide clients toward healing and deeper self-awareness.
Psychotherapy at Clover offers a space for meaningful change through honest reflection, compassionate support, and relational connection. Whether one-on-one, with a partner, or in a group, therapy helps you better understand yourself and your patterns, make sense of challenges, and move toward more grounded, authentic ways of relating to yourself and others.
One thing that sets us apart is that Clover also offers a cutting edge treatment called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in partnership with Journey Clinical to support deep healing and lasting change. Journey handles the medical side (prescriptions, safety, and monitoring) while Clover guides the therapy process, from preparation through integration. Together, we help clients use ketamine as a catalyst for insight, emotional growth, and symptom relief.
Finally, Clover partners with Journey Clinical to offer psychiatric medication management, including personalized treatment plans, prescriptions, and monthly check-ins. Journey’s medical team supports a wide range of medications and works closely with both clients and therapists to ensure coordinated, comprehensive care. We also pride ourself on our collaborative approach — we work seamlessly with other providers who may be supporting our clients (psychiatrists, nutritionists, etc) to truly work as a holistic team.
I am most proud that we are able to help people break free from what’s holding them back and step into their healthiest, most authentic lives. Our whole-person approach goes beyond talk therapy, healing not just the mind, but also the body, relationships, and soul. In our safe, affirming space, we get to the root of what’s keeping you stuck and foster lasting transformation instead of just managing symptoms. Our team is top notch, and I could not be more excited about what we’re doing here.
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is empowering clients to live into their healthiest, most authentic selves. This is my way of contributing to greater peace in the world. It can be disheartening to see the inequities, hardships, and conflicts in the news, and while I know I can’t change all of that, I can walk alongside people as they shift the distress in their own bodies, minds, and homes. To me, this is how I live out my bigger dream of world peace. Each time I witness someone finding more ease within themselves, I believe it creates a ripple effect: bringing more peace into their relationships, their community, our country, and ultimately, our planet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cloverhealingcollective.com
- Instagram: @drkorebrown / @cloverhealingcollective
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkorebrown/
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/kore-brown-san-diego-ca/1228838
Image Credits
Photographer: Kat Caudle, owner of Scratchkatshots Photography
