Therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp. We will earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you sign up through our links.

Karen Haggard

Karen Haggard

LCSW

Compassionate guidance for trauma and life changes

Continue with Karen Review online therapy options and next steps on BetterHelp.
  • Trauma-informed care
  • Practical coping skills
  • Person-centered stance

About Karen

Karen Haggard is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, and the fallout from trauma and abuse. She works with individuals dealing with grief, relationship strain, addiction, and questions about identity. Her tone is straightforward and calm, aimed at someone searching for practical support.

She focuses on helping people through major life transitions and emotional challenges. That includes coping with burnout, managing anger, improving communication, and building self-esteem. She also supports people navigating intimacy concerns, parenting stress, and sleep or attention difficulties.

Karen uses a person-centered stance and draws on Trauma-Focused Therapy alongside cognitive and behavioral approaches. She also integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and attachment-based ideas to shape sessions around each person’s needs. Sessions emphasize real skills and clearer choices rather than only talking about feelings.

Over 25 years she has worked with a wide range of issues from chronic illness and caregiver strain to identity and relationship patterns. She aims to make sessions a place to test new ways of coping and to rebuild confidence after loss or hurt.

Her practice is rooted in practical steps and steady support. People leave with concrete tools for everyday life and a clearer sense of what matters to them next.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Trauma-Focused Therapy in her work focuses on helping people process painful memories and reduce the ways past events affect daily life. It often involves pacing, grounding strategies, and building coping skills to manage intense feelings.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice their thoughts without getting stuck and clarify what matters to them. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions because it emphasizes values-based action alongside skills for handling difficult thoughts.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns shape current connections and emotional habits. This approach supports people wanting clearer boundaries, safer emotional expression, and better communication in relationships.

Finding the right mix of methods is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to match approaches to their goals, needs, and preferences. Sessions may shift over time as priorities change and progress is made.

Confirm the available online session formats before booking, since the biography does not list them. Online options often make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and make steady therapeutic work more consistent with daily life.

These summaries are based on the profile information listed on BetterHelp. Listing trauma-focused therapy does not mean a therapist holds a specific certification such as TF-CBT, EMDR or CPT.

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

Licenses listed

  • LCSW, Illinois149010863
  • LCSW, Texas115772
  • NPI1225277916

As listed on the therapist's profile. You can check a license with the state licensing board and an NPI in the national registry.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she commonly help with?

She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep problems, parenting stress, and attention-related challenges.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Her style is person-centered and practical, mixing Trauma-Focused Therapy with cognitive and acceptance-based methods to teach skills and explore meaning.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has 25 years of experience working with a range of emotional and life challenges.

Where is the therapist licensed and based?

She holds LCSW credentials and practices in Illinois with licenses in Illinois and Texas as noted in her profile.

Which languages are supported for sessions?

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

What session formats are available?

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

How is cost handled for sessions?

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

How do I begin working with her?

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

Therapists on BetterHelp do not prescribe medication; a doctor can talk with you about medical options. This directory is not a crisis service. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are thinking about suicide, call or text 988.

Karen HaggardContinue with Karen