Karen Lakritz, LCSW

Karen Lakritz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 30 years of experience as a psychotherapist. She has worked with people facing depression, anxiety, grief, and substance use connected to loneliness. She also has experience supporting people coping with severe bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Karen notes she has a mild stutter and some dyslexia, and says this gives her personal insight into non-neurotypical challenges.

She has spent significant time living in Canada in recent years and became familiar with Canadian health and housing systems during that time. That experience informs practical conversations about navigating supports across borders. Karen practices in Florida and speaks English.

Her style is described as warm and supportive. She emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion while also holding people accountable for the work they choose to do. Sessions focus on clear, achievable steps rather than vague goals.

Karen uses a mix of approaches such as cognitive behavioral methods, client-centered techniques, and elements of solution-focused and rational-emotive work. She and a client will look for tools that fit that person’s life and needs, then try them out and adjust as needed.

She believes real change takes effort and commitment and offers coaching alongside therapy to help people manage life transitions, career pressures, parenting strains, and relationship concerns. The first steps are collaborative goal-setting and steady practice between sessions.

To begin, Karen asks people to describe their main concerns and practical constraints so therapy can match their schedule and goals.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck, and then commit to actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches practical exercises to reduce distress and change unhelpful patterns. It often helps with anxiety, mood, and sleep problems. Attachment-Based ideas pay attention to how close relationships shape how people cope, which can be helpful for intimacy, trust, and grief issues.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has helped or not helped in the past. Together they try methods, review progress, and adjust the plan when needed so it fits the client's life and aims.

Session formats are not listed in this profile, so confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins if that suits a schedule. It can also let people use written exercises and worksheets between sessions and move at a pace that matches their life. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT, CBT, and attachment-informed work to remote sessions while focusing on practical skills and steady progress.