- Empowerment focused
- Strengths oriented
- Practical coping tools
About Karen
Karen Gano is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people facing major life shifts. She focuses on practical steps people can take when feeling stuck after separation, career change, illness, loss, or other transitions. Her approach aims to build confidence and everyday coping skills so clients can move toward the life they want.
Karen draws on more than three decades of clinical experience. She emphasizes Empowerment Counseling and uses a motivational style to help people find their own reasons to change. Sessions often focus on identifying strengths, setting clear goals, and practicing small steps that add up over time.
Her background includes long work in medical settings such as oncology, palliative care, emergency medicine, and critical care. That experience informs her work with people facing grief, illness, caregiver stress, and end-of-life concerns. She also brings experience supporting people dealing with trauma, domestic abuse, and addiction-related struggles.
In the room she blends client-centered listening with practical tools from solution-focused and mindfulness approaches. That means the conversation is driven by the client's priorities while also producing concrete strategies to try between sessions. Karen often helps people increase self-esteem, manage anxiety and stress, and address relationship or intimacy-related issues.
She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh and maintains licenses as an LCSW-C, LCSW, and CSW across multiple states. Karen practices from New Mexico and provides counseling in English.
How these approaches translate to online therapy
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting back what matters most to the person. It creates space for someone to name priorities and feel heard, which can help when facing grief or relationship worries.Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple ways to notice thoughts and bodily reactions. Practicing brief mindfulness can reduce stress, support emotional regulation, and help with anxiety or chronic health concerns.
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative way to find personal reasons for change. It helps people move from feeling stuck to trying small, doable steps toward goals like healthier habits or clearer boundaries.
Choosing the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try approaches that fit, and adjust methods based on what helps most. That collaborative process is part of the work, especially when dealing with trauma, codependency, or major life transitions.
Confirm the current session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when life gets hectic. It can also allow people to keep continuity of care while managing work, caregiving, or medical demands.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
33+ years
Credentials
New Mexico, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Maine
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Karen address?
She helps people with relationship challenges, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, addictions, and major life transitions.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is client-centered and motivational, with an emphasis on practical, goal-focused work and mindfulness techniques.
What is her clinical background?
She has 33 years of clinical counseling experience and a long history working in medical settings such as oncology, palliative care, and emergency medicine.
What credentials and location does she hold?
She holds LCSW-C, LCSW, and CSW credentials and practices from New Mexico.
Are sessions offered in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She is not accepting international clients at this time.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start a session with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.