Carl Vitense, LCSW

Carl is a Licensed Psychotherapist with over 20 years experience doing transformational work with people of all ages and backgrounds.  He has worked throughout the mental health field, serving in residential treatment, juvenile corrections diversion, in-home family preservation, CCS (Comprehensive Community Services), private outpatient practice, and as a university social work professor/field liaison.  

Having fostered 18 boys over 8 years as a treatment foster care parent, Carl has signature experience in issues surrounding out of home care and adoption as well as developmental disorders.  Carl provides assessment and treatment for PTSD, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and schizophrenia/psychosis.  He also has particular interest in parent coaching/family therapy, men’s issues, character education, leadership/personal performance enhancement, and creativity.  

Carl works from a strengths based and humanistic core philosophy that is primarily informed by Jungian analytical psychology (complexes, dreams, the unconscious), trauma therapy/EMDR, spiritual, and existential approaches.  His work is also influenced by positive psychology/resilience, narrative work, ecopsychology, and experiential models (art, sand tray, and outdoor challenge).

In addition to individual therapy, Carl is available to other professionals and agencies for clinical supervision, case consultation, training, and program development.  

Carl has traveled to over 40 countries with his most inspiring journey having made the Camino Santiago pilgrimage in 2019.  He enjoys hiking, mountains, nature/animals, history, myth and fairy tales, writing, photography and all things nerdy (anime, sci-fi, fantasy, board games, and tabletop RPGs like D&D).

As the Founder and Clinical Director of Inner Journey Consulting, Carl is dedicated to assisting individuals on their inner journey towards deeper wholeness and integration while being of service to the Milwaukee and greater SE Wiscsonsin community. 

Education/Key Training:

Analyst Training Program (ATP) Candidate

C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago, 2023 - In Process

Jungian Psychotherapy Program (JPP) Certificate

CG Jung Institute of Chicago, 2018

Masters of Social Work (MSW): Double Methods and Certificate in Nonprofit Management

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2008

Bachelor's Degree in History and Theology, Minor in Psychology

Wisconsin Lutheran College, 2002


Trauma Focused: 

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Training Certificate

Neuro-Sequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) trained

Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Certificate