CBTTherapistsUSA

The therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp and we will earn a commission if you use our link - at no cost to you.

KR Portrait of Karen Roach

Karen Roach

Calm-focused, practical therapy for stress and relationships

LCSW Illinois

Experience
20 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Parenting, Self esteem
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages
English
Continue with Karen

About Karen

Karen Roach is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Illinois with 20 years of experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, anger, and the ripple effects of trauma and life changes.

Background and approach

Her work also addresses parenting challenges, ADHD, self-esteem, and a range of related concerns such as attachment issues, adoption and foster care matters, caregiver stress, and mood disorders. Her style is warm, nonjudgmental, and collaborative; she draws on client-centered principles while integrating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) techniques to build practical coping skills.

Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused Therapy are also part of her toolkit, used to identify strengths and set realistic goals. Prior roles in school social work and graduate teaching inform her understanding of systems and developmental contexts.

Availability reflects her full-time school social work schedule, with phone and video appointments typically offered in early mornings and mid to late afternoons during the school year, while messaging options are available throughout the day. She invites prospective clients to explore whether her practical, skills-based approach fits their needs and goals.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online care

Karen uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, often teaching concrete exercises that reduce anxiety and improve mood. She also incorporates Client-Centered Therapy, offering an empathetic, nonjudgmental space where the therapist follows the client's lead to clarify goals and build self-awareness. When appropriate, she draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills to strengthen emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. The therapist works with each person to assess their needs, preferences, and goals and then tailors methods accordingly, combining techniques as needed so the work fits the individual rather than forcing a single model.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which support flexible scheduling and access from home or work. These options make it easier to maintain continuity during busy weeks, match appointment times to early mornings or afternoons when she is typically available, and use messaging for brief check-ins or skill practice between sessions.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Karen commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, parenting and relationship issues, trauma and abuse, anger, ADHD, self-esteem, and coping with life changes, along with related topics like attachment, caregiver stress, and mood disorders.
What is Karen's therapeutic style?
Her approach is understanding, nonjudgmental, and collaborative, blending client-centered care with practical skill-building methods such as CBT and DBT to help clients regulate stress and develop coping tools.
How much experience does she bring to sessions?
She has 20 years of professional experience, including work in school social work and teaching at the graduate level, which shapes her practical, systems-informed perspective.
What credentials and location information are on file?
She is an LCSW practicing in Illinois with license IL LCSW 149.012062.
Can sessions be conducted in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English; she is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats are available?
Clients may meet by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, with messaging available throughout the day and synchronous sessions scheduled around her school work hours.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and services are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule appointments according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyParenting issuesSelf esteem

Also works with

Relationship issuesTrauma and abuseAnger managementCoping with life changesADHD

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeCancerCaregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsDissociationFamily problemsGuilt and shameImpulsivityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMood disordersPregnancy and childbirthSelf-loveWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Motivational InterviewingSolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

20+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English