Kim's areas of expertise include therapeutic recreation and its role in recovery. As such, she is a certified ropes instructor. She is also adept in dealing with grief and loss issues, codependency/eating disorders, anger reduction and experiential therapy. At Shades she serves as director of transitional living for the clients. She has worked in therapeutic settings for 18 years, serving eight years on the staff of San Marcos Treatment Center, four years as a therapist with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and two years on the staff of the Austin Recovery Center.

She has a bachelor's degree from Southwest Texas State University and is working on a master's degree in Therapeutic Recreation. She is certified by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation and the Texas Experiential Ropes Association. She is Tennie McCarty???s daughter.