Karen Lakritz, LCSW

Karen Lakritz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with more than 30 years as a psychotherapist. She has supported people through depression, anxiety, grief, and substance use connected to loneliness. Karen has also worked with clients managing severe bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. She is familiar with challenges non-neurotypical people face, including her own mild stutter and dyslexia.

Her approach is warm and supportive. She brings respect, sensitivity, and compassion to sessions alongside clear accountability. Conversations are straightforward and practical, aimed at helping people make real changes that fit their life.

Karen blends cognitive behavioral techniques with client-centered and acceptance-based ideas. That means sessions may include looking at thought patterns, experimenting with new skills, and focusing on values that matter to the person. She adapts methods to what each person needs rather than using a single formula.

She has lived part-time in Canada over the past nine years and knows the local health and housing systems there. That experience can be helpful for people navigating cross-border issues or relocation questions.

Karen frames therapy as a collaborative process. She asks questions, listens carefully, and helps set realistic steps. The emphasis is on steady effort and practical tools that support daily life.

How her approaches guide online therapy choices

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts without getting stuck in them and then choose actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and life changes where someone wants clearer direction. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing thought and behavior patterns that feed distress. It is practical and helps with symptoms like insomnia, worry, and low mood. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns in close relationships and helps people understand how early bonds shape current reactions and expectations.

Choosing a therapeutic approach is part of the work together. Karen will talk with each person about goals, what feels helpful, and how different methods might fit. That collaborative process helps shape sessions so they feel relevant and doable.

The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm available options before booking. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy day, reduce travel time, and support continuity when people move or live abroad. Some formats also let people choose shorter check-ins or phone-based meetings when bandwidth or quiet time is limited. Karen aims to match therapeutic methods and practical scheduling to each person's needs and life demands.