- Years in practice
- 14
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- Oregon
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
About Karen
Karen Ellis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 14 years of experience helping people manage stress and anxiety. She creates a calm, nonjudgmental space where people can talk about difficult feelings and begin to make practical changes. Her approach is straightforward and compassionate, aimed at making therapy feel manageable even on a busy schedule.
She often combines cognitive behavioral techniques with acceptance-based work to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and take actions that match their values.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on small, doable steps that reduce overwhelm and build confidence. Karen uses motivational interviewing to support readiness for change and solution-focused strategies to keep sessions goal-oriented. Parents who are juggling daily pressures can expect help sorting priorities, improving communication, and coping with role stress.
Karen also supports people facing grief, trauma, relationship and intimacy concerns, mood challenges such as depression or bipolar symptoms, and issues around identity including LGBT concerns. Her experience includes work with blended family issues, aging and geriatric concerns, isolation, money stress, and compulsive behaviors.
She pays attention to patterns that keep people stuck and works with them to try different ways of responding. Sessions are practical and collaborative, with an emphasis on real-life tools. Karen practices in Oregon and conducts sessions in English.
She welcomes questions from people who want to know how therapy could fit into their lives and routines.
What Karen works with
Everything Karen lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Karen helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Family problems
- Isolation / loneliness
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Sex addiction
Approaches Karen lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Therapeutic approaches you can access online
Karen uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors that change outcomes. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, and habit patterns because it focuses on specific skills and experiments you can practice between sessions.She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, which helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting ruled by them and then choose actions that align with their values. ACT is especially helpful for stress, parenting strain, and when avoidance keeps life from moving forward.
Finding the right approach is a shared process. Karen will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and adapt methods to fit their situation. She treats therapy as collaborative work, checking in about what helps and adjusting strategies over time.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video calls let people use body language and visual cues, while phone sessions can be easier when internet bandwidth is low. Live chat and messaging are useful for quick check-ins, brief reflections, or shorter sessions during a busy day. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, childcare, or other obligations without long commutes.
Questions people ask about Karen
What concerns can Karen help with?
She helps with stress, anxiety, parenting challenges, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, trauma and mood concerns such as depression and bipolar symptoms.
What is her therapeutic style?
Sessions blend cognitive behavioral ideas with acceptance-based work and solution-focused tools to set clear goals and try concrete strategies between visits.
How much experience does she have?
She has 14 years of professional experience working with people on stress, anxiety, trauma, and related concerns.
Where is she licensed and located?
She holds an LCSW license in Oregon and provides services to people within that state.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does payment and cost work?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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