- Client-Centered Therapy
- CBT and DBT tools
- Mindfulness practice
About Karen
Karen Foley is a Washington-licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) with 32 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, self-esteem concerns, and depression. She works with adults who are carrying guilt or shame related to relationships, faith, choices, or past events, and she speaks plainly about what feels heavy and why it keeps coming up.
Karen centers the person telling their story. She treats the client as the expert on their own life and looks for strengths that can be used right away. Sessions tend to focus on clear, practical steps alongside careful listening so people can try different ways of coping and notice what helps.
Her work draws on client-centered methods and evidence-informed tools like cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. She also uses mindfulness and motivational interviewing to help people notice thoughts and shift patterns that keep guilt and shame active.
In sessions she will talk through what matters most to the client, set short-term goals, and practice skills like grounding, thought checking, and communication techniques. Conversations can include memories, current triggers, and decisions about next steps in relationships or personal boundaries.
Karen has spent decades supporting people through loss, domestic violence recovery, and the effort of staying motivated when life feels stalled. She invites straightforward conversations about forgiveness, control issues, body image, and isolation without moralizing or quick fixes.
How therapeutic approaches shape online sessions
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what the person says. It helps people feel understood and clarifies what they want to change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It offers practical exercises for shifting unhelpful thinking and reducing anxiety or shame.Choosing an approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to decide which methods to try first based on their goals and what feels manageable. That may mean pairing gentle client-centered listening with CBT skill practice or adding DBT techniques for emotion regulation when needed.
Confirm the exact online session options before booking because the biography does not list formats. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, allow brief check-ins during a work break, or let someone choose audio rather than video if that helps them concentrate. The therapist will discuss how sessions will run, how to use exercises between meetings, and what kinds of homework or skills practice may be helpful so sessions fit into daily life.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
32+ years
Listed in
Washington
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, self-esteem issues, and depression, and also focuses on guilt and shame among other related concerns.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She uses client-centered listening alongside practical techniques from CBT, DBT, and mindfulness to help people notice thought patterns and try different coping strategies.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 32 years of professional experience working with people on a wide range of emotional concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a LICSW licensed in Washington and practices with that credential in the state.
Does she provide services in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients.
What session formats does she offer?
Please confirm current session formats before booking, as the biography does not specify which session types are offered.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule an initial session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.