Karen Kelly

Karen Kelly is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) based in Alaska with 13 years of experience. She focuses on helping people manage anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, and anger. Her work emphasizes practical steps people can use right away to reduce distress and regain control. Karen draws on several evidence-based methods to match what each person needs. Sessions are collaborative and paced to suit what someone can handle. She pays particular attention to problems like guilt, shame, isolation, and the fallout from traumatic events. Her background includes time as a law enforcement officer and 911 dispatcher, which informs how she approaches first responder issues and workplace stress. That experience helps her understand the unique pressures and routines that can affect coping and recovery. In the therapy room she helps people build skills for managing intense emotions, improving communication, and making changes that fit their lives. Work can include looking at unhelpful thinking, learning grounding techniques, and practicing new ways of responding in relationships and at work. Clients who come for support around life transitions, grief, self-esteem, or career stress will find a straightforward, problem-focused style. Karen also addresses issues such as codependency, substance use, post-traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue. Sessions are offered in English and French.

How therapeutic methods translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts without getting stuck in them and focus on actions that matter. It can be useful for anxiety, low mood, and for people who want clearer goals and values in daily life.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. It often helps with anxiety, depression, and managing reactions to stress.

Finding the right method is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences and then suggest approaches to try. That choice is collaborative and can shift as needs change over time.

If you are considering online therapy with this clinician, confirm the current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. It also lets someone continue care during life changes or when relocating within the same region. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT and CBT tools to remote sessions so skill practice and emotion regulation remain a focus.