Karissa Thomas

Karissa Thomas is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) practicing from Michigan. She aims to help people feel heard and understood so they can begin to work through stress, loss, trauma, or life changes. Karissa keeps sessions straightforward and compassionate, and she brings a curious, nonjudgmental attitude to each conversation.

She approaches therapy believing the person in the room knows their own experience best. That means she listens first and helps you name what matters. Karissa uses practical tools and clear language while also making space for emotion and reflection. She is comfortable mixing clinical approaches with a warm, human touch.

Her clinical focus includes trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy concerns, mood conditions like depression and bipolar, anxiety and stress, grief, addictions, and challenges around self-esteem and body image. She also works with parenting and caregiving stress, ADHD, eating concerns, and career-related distress. Additional focus areas include attachment issues, adoption and foster care, chronic illness, and coping after disasters.

Karissa uses methods drawn from Trauma-Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Over seven years she has developed a practical, down-to-earth style that balances action with acceptance.

People who prefer clear guidance alongside empathetic listening may find her approach helpful. She aims to create a space where honesty and small steps toward change can happen together.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Trauma-Focused Therapy focuses on helping people process and move forward from traumatic experiences. Sessions often include grounding, paced processing of memories, and learning ways to cope when stress rises. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choose actions that match their values and goals.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work together with the client to decide which methods fit best based on needs, goals, and personal preferences. That collaborative decision can change over time as goals shift or new challenges arise.

Confirm the current session options before booking since this profile does not list specific formats. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, cut down on travel time, and let someone check in from a convenient spot. It can also allow for shorter check-ins when needed, or sessions that do not require being on camera, depending on what the therapist and client agree on.