Karen Jurls

Support for change with experienced care

LICSW Alabama

Experience: 35 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Grief
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages: English

About Karen

Karen Jurls, LICSW, centers her practice on helping people regain balance when stress, loss, or difficult life transitions interfere with daily functioning. With a warm, pragmatic approach, she emphasizes practical strategies and personal values to guide clients toward clearer coping skills and improved emotional well-being.

Background and approach

Bringing 35 years of experience in mental health and public health, she has supported people facing depression, anxiety, trauma, substance-related concerns, relationship and family difficulties, and struggles with self-esteem and sleeping or eating.

Her background includes work with adoptive parents and children, and she addresses a wide range of issues from grief and parenting challenges to mood disorders and ADHD-related concerns. Her style blends evidence-informed methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy, attachment-based work, client-centered approaches, and dialectical behavior therapy to tailor care to each person.

Clients collaborate with her to set goals, build coping tools, and reframe patterns that no longer serve them. She practices in Alabama and offers several remote session formats to fit different schedules and preferences.

Therapeutic approaches you can use online

Online sessions with this clinician draw on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to address distressing thoughts and build flexible coping. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and developing practical skills to change behavior and mood, often used for anxiety, depression, sleep or eating problems, and stress-related issues. ACT emphasizes clarifying values and learning to accept difficult feelings while committing to meaningful action, which helps when coping with life changes, grief, or chronic distress.

Choosing the right approach is part of treatment; the therapist works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best match their goals, preferences, and needs. Together they review what is most helpful, adjust strategies over time, and combine techniques from different approaches when appropriate.

Online work is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different lifestyles and schedules. These formats make it easier to attend sessions from home or during a busy week while maintaining consistent progress and access to licensed professionals who can guide skills practice and planning.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist address?

Karen works with a broad range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family problems, grief, trauma, addiction concerns, eating and sleeping problems, and career or parenting challenges.

What therapeutic style can I expect in sessions?

Her approach combines client-centered collaboration with structured, skills-based methods such as CBT, DBT, ACT, and attachment-informed techniques to help clients build coping strategies and shift unhelpful patterns.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She brings 35 years of experience in mental health and public health, including work with adoptive families and with people coping with trauma, loss, and mood concerns.

What are her credentials and where is she based?

She is licensed as an LICSW with license AL LICSW 0901C and practices in Alabama.

Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?

She does not accept international clients and currently provides services to clients within her licensed region.

In what formats are sessions offered?

Sessions are available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different needs and schedules.

How is cost handled for therapy?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; services are delivered through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

What steps are needed to begin working together?

To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesGrief Self esteem Coping with life changes

Also works with

AddictionsFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoachingADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisPersonality disordersPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPost-traumatic stressSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

35+ years

Licensed

Alabama

Languages

English