KH 
Karen Haggard
Compassionate, experienced LCSW focused on practical growth
LCSW Illinois
- Experience
- 25 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English
About Karen
Karen Haggard is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and relationship concerns. She blends evidence-based methods with a compassionate, person-centered sensibility to support individuals through difficult emotional transitions and complex life challenges.
Background and approach
Karen emphasizes practical skills alongside emotional insight to help clients move from feeling stuck toward clearer priorities and healthier coping strategies. Her work often targets communication, self-esteem, intimacy-related issues, coping with life changes, and the effects of addiction or chronic health concerns.
She integrates approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to match interventions to each person’s needs. Licensed in Illinois as an LCSW, Karen offers collaborative care that respects each client’s values, identity, and pace of change.
How evidence-based approaches translate to online care
Karen commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in her work. CBT focuses on identifying and adjusting unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce symptoms like anxiety or depression, while ACT emphasizes values-based action and skills for accepting difficult emotions rather than avoiding them. These approaches are practical and skill-oriented, making them well suited to remote sessions and homework between meetings.She also draws on Attachment-Based ideas to explore how early relationships influence current patterns, helping clients improve communication and emotional connection. Choosing the right combination of methods is a collaborative process; the therapist partners with each client to assess goals, preferences, and what feels most useful, adapting the approach over time as progress and priorities evolve.
Online therapy sessions are available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for busy schedules, travel, or differing comfort levels with technology. These formats make it easier to maintain continuity of care, practice new skills in daily life, and access therapy from different locations while working with a licensed professional.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, addictions, bipolar, ADHD, and many other emotional or life challenges.
What therapeutic approaches does she use?
The practice draws on several evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to tailor care to each client.
How long has she been practicing?
The therapist brings 25 years of clinical experience supporting people through grief, trauma recovery, relationship concerns, workplace stress, and identity-related issues.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She is an LCSW licensed in Illinois. Exact license details include IL LCSW 149010863 and TX LCSW 115772.
Can nonlocal or international clients work with her?
Yes, she accepts international clients and is available for remote sessions to accommodate different locations.
Which session formats are available?
Sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility in how clients engage in therapy.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What is the first step to begin therapy?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist’s availability.
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
Licensed
Illinois, Texas
Languages
English