- 25 years experience
- LCSW in IL and TX
- Values-based approach
About Karen
Karen Haggard is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, grief, and other intense emotions. She aims to make therapy practical and approachable so people can use what they learn in daily life. Karen works with clients on intimacy-related issues, addictions, ADHD, and life transitions including loss and career changes.
Her sessions focus on real skills and steady support. Karen helps people name their feelings, try small behavior changes, and practice clearer communication. She pays attention to attachment patterns and how early experiences shape current relationships without using jargon.
Karen blends several therapy styles to match the person in front of her. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to clarify values and take action, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to spot unhelpful thinking patterns, and client-centered methods to maintain a respectful, listening stance. Dialectical Behavior Therapy tools are available for emotional regulation when needed.
Her background includes long-term clinical work with people facing trauma, chronic stress, caregiver strain, and complex grief. Karen has supported those dealing with abandonment, blended family stress, body image concerns, and the challenges of kink and alternative sexual cultures.
Sessions aim to help clients build coping skills, improve relationships, and regain a sense of direction. Karen encourages steady progress through realistic goals and repeated practice. To begin, people complete a short questionnaire and schedule sessions based on availability.
Her sessions focus on real skills and steady support. Karen helps people name their feelings, try small behavior changes, and practice clearer communication. She pays attention to attachment patterns and how early experiences shape current relationships without using jargon.
Karen blends several therapy styles to match the person in front of her. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to clarify values and take action, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to spot unhelpful thinking patterns, and client-centered methods to maintain a respectful, listening stance. Dialectical Behavior Therapy tools are available for emotional regulation when needed.
Her background includes long-term clinical work with people facing trauma, chronic stress, caregiver strain, and complex grief. Karen has supported those dealing with abandonment, blended family stress, body image concerns, and the challenges of kink and alternative sexual cultures.
Sessions aim to help clients build coping skills, improve relationships, and regain a sense of direction. Karen encourages steady progress through realistic goals and repeated practice. To begin, people complete a short questionnaire and schedule sessions based on availability.
Therapeutic approaches and online treatment options
Karen commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy alongside Client-Centered methods. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify their values and take small, committed steps toward a life they care about. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at early relationship patterns to understand current hurt and rebuild safer ways of connecting. Client-Centered Therapy offers a respectful and non-judgmental space where the person sets the pace and focus.Finding the right approach is a shared process. Karen will talk with each person about goals, symptoms, and preferences and then recommend approaches to try. Sessions can shift over time as needs change, and decisions about methods are made together rather than assumed up front.
The profile does not list specific online session formats, so confirm the current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. Many people find it simpler to maintain weekly work when sessions fit around work, caregiving, or other commitments.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodHypnotherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
25+ years
Credentials
Illinois, Texas
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does Karen address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, ADHD, and related areas such as body image and caregiver stress.
What is her therapeutic style like?
The approach is compassionate and practical. Karen uses values work, skills training, and active listening to help people make small, useful changes.
How much experience does she have?
She has 25 years of clinical experience working with people facing complex emotional challenges and life transitions.
What credentials and location apply to her practice?
She is an LCSW and practices in Illinois, with licensure also noted for Texas as LCSW.
Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.
Which session formats are used?
The original profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm current session options before booking.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To start, select the continue button on this profile, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.