Exploring Life & Business with Karl Tucker of Ascent Mental Health

Karl Tucker, founder and owner of Ascent Mental Health, had the pleasure of being interviewed by Voyage Utah, and was posted to their site on October 23rd, 2024.

Read on to discover the contents of that interview, or click the link here to go directly to their site - VoyageUtah

Hi Karl, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My first job in the therapeutic world was working with at-risk adolescents at a wilderness program – The Anasazi Foundation. 20 years later it stands as one of the most profound transformative experiences of my life. This led to a decade of working with teens-still my favorite demographic to work with. In my 30’s I became a Registered Nurse and worked with the severely mentally ill at the Utah State Hospital for five years, where I developed a deep love and compassion for this population. I moved from the Utah State Hospital to the Neuro Critical Care Unit with aspirations to become a Nurse Anesthetist. However, as I built my skills on the NCCU, I found that I drew more satisfaction from connecting with the family members of stroke victims and helping them navigate that acutely difficult time. Around that time I was discussing my pursuit of anesthesiology with a friend who laughed at me and asked “You’ve spent your entire life helping people wake up and now you want to put them to sleep”? -and with that, my heart was turned back to the therapeutic world. Three years later I graduated From the University of Utah with honors receiving a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, Specializing in Mental Health. As a new graduate, I worked for 6 months at an amazing clinic but quickly felt I wanted to do more. Without any knowledge of how to be a business owner, I opened Ascent Mental Health. Some 3 years later we have 2 locations 13 employees and have served thousands of community members in taking control of their mental health. I have been more fortunate than a repeat lottery winner along the way. My life is more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined and all that I am exists solely through the love and support of my friends and family. My greatest business fortune was my first employee, Amanda Gamble. She has one of the most inspiring personal stories I have ever heard. I am convinced that Ascent Mental Health only exists because of her incredible character and capacity. Ascent Mental Health affords me the opportunity to express my deepest-held values. We operate in pursuit of a simple goal- Do what is in the best interest of the patient, without exceptions.

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?
There has been a learning curve and endless obstacles to overcome but I have had the support of amazing people along the way which only leaves you feeling more grateful.

As you know, we’re big fans of Ascent Mental Health. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Ascent Mental Health is an outpatient mental health clinic. We offer Therapy, Medication management, and Ketamine therapy. We pride ourselves in offering the highest level of mental health expertise. Our mission is to clearly see the person in front of us at all times and to work with them as a partner to achieve their goals. I am proud of the good that we do in our community. The employees at Ascent Mental Health are sincere practitioners of the highest caliber.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I have deep sympathy for any adult who had to endure me in my youth. I couldn’t calm down. I wanted everything to be fun all of the time. My deep desire for connection has been a part of my personality from the beginning. It has served me well professionally, but in my youth, it did not serve me academically. For these reasons, I really struggled in High School- to the point that, to this day I have never met someone, who graduated high school on time, who had a lower cumulative GPA than me (1.6-yikes). It was a long journey acquiring the skills and support necessary in order to graduate from a rigorous doctorate program with honors. However, the effort was well worth it, as it has allowed me to do what has always come naturally to me. I truly love my job.

I love things that challenge my own personal boundaries. I am on a lifelong quest to understand myself. In pursuit of this, the things I love the most are challenging in some way. Deep, multiday, wilderness exploration, canyoneering, or off-road motorcycling with people I love, is my definition of heaven.

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