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Karen Haggard

Karen Haggard

LCSW

Therapist · Illinois · 25+ years of experience

Compassionate support for intense emotions and change

Continue with Karen

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  • Practical coping strategies
  • Values-focused work
  • Warm nonjudgmental care

About Karen

Karen Haggard is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience helping people manage strong emotions and stressful life changes. She works with individuals who are dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, anger, and relationship challenges. Karen emphasizes a warm, nonjudgmental approach so clients can speak honestly about difficult feelings.

Her sessions focus on practical skills and clearer self-understanding. She helps people improve communication, handle workplace stress, and cope with major life transitions. Karen also supports those navigating identity questions, addiction concerns, and sleep or caregiving strains.

Karen uses a mix of evidence-informed methods that fit the person in front of her. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment-based ideas, client-centered work, cognitive behavioral techniques, and elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy as appropriate. The goal is to combine short-term strategies with deeper exploration of patterns that keep problems repeating.

Over her career she has worked with diverse life experiences and complex situations such as adoption and foster care, abandonment, chronic illness, and blended family stress. That background informs how she tailors interventions and pacing for each person.

People who meet with Karen can expect straightforward conversation, concrete coping tools, and an emphasis on values and meaningful change. To begin, she asks clients to identify priorities and small steps that fit their daily life.

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

How therapeutic approaches guide online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice unhelpful thoughts and take action toward what matters most. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and life transitions by pairing values clarification with behavioral steps. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns and helps people change how they relate and respond in relationships and stressful moments.

Choosing the right approach is a process. The therapist collaborates with each person to match methods to their needs, goals, and comfort. That means trying tools, checking what helps, and adjusting pace or strategies together rather than following a fixed plan.

The biography did not specify session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten travel time, and let people use quieter surroundings or shorter check-ins when needed. It can also allow continuity of care for international clients who are working across time zones. Discuss format and scheduling when you sign up so sessions work with daily life.

At a glance

Listed location
Illinois
Experience
25+ years
Credentials
LCSW
Languages
English
License (Illinois)
LCSW · No. 149010863
License (Texas)
LCSW · No. 115772
NPI
1225277916

As listed by the therapist. You can check a license with the state board and an NPI with the national registry.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does this therapist help with?

She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, anger, relationship difficulties, addiction issues, sleep problems, and life transitions among other concerns.

How would you describe the therapy style here?

The approach is compassionate and person-centered, with practical skill-building and gentle exploration of past patterns that affect current life.

How much clinical experience does the therapist have?

The clinician brings 25 years of experience working with individuals across a wide range of emotional and life challenges.

What credentials and location are associated with this therapist?

Karen holds an LCSW credential and practices in Illinois, holding licensure in Illinois and Texas as documented.

Are sessions available in languages other than English?

Sessions are offered in English, and international clients are accepted.

What session formats are offered?

The original biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm current session options and delivery methods before booking.

How does billing and cost work for sessions?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

What are the first steps to start therapy here?

Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Before you start

  • Online talk therapy is not a court-ordered or mandated anger-management course, and it does not provide attendance certificates.
  • Check that the location and license details above fit where you live.
  • If anyone is at risk of being harmed, contact emergency services or a domestic-abuse helpline first. See the support lines for the US, UK and Australia.
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