Karen Shaughness

Karen Shaughness is a licensed clinical social worker with 38 years of experience based in New York. She uses a patient-centered approach and focuses on helping people handle stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, and life changes. Karen brings a warm, friendly style and aims to make starting therapy feel manageable for someone who is worried or unsure.

She blends cognitive behavioral techniques with mindfulness to help people notice unhelpful thinking and try new actions. Sessions often involve talking through difficult moments, practicing focused breathing or awareness exercises, and setting small, practical goals to test between meetings. Motivational interviewing supports changes around substance use and other habits when people feel stuck.

Her background includes hospital work and many years supporting people with addiction issues, family dynamics, grief, trauma, and coping after major disruptions. That breadth of experience informs straightforward tools for sleep problems, panic and social anxiety, and overwhelm from caregiving or work stress.

Karen also helps people facing divorce and separation, codependency, communication problems, and career transitions. She describes therapy as a collaborative process where the person’s pace guides the work and practical coping skills are emphasized.

Outside work she enjoys time near water, kayaking, gardens, concerts, films, and long walks with her Golden Retriever. She aims to make therapy both orderly and humane, helping people move toward clearer choices and steadier daily routines.

How her approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting so people feel understood and can steer the work. It helps when someone needs space to name priorities and make their own choices about change.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, breaks worries and patterns into clearer steps so people can try a different action and see what happens. This approach is useful for anxiety, mood concerns, sleep problems, and compulsive habits.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and build steadier focus. It pairs well with CBT when stress and overwhelm make it hard to try new behaviors.

Finding the right mix is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, try methods that fit their temperament, and adjust based on what helps. Clients and the therapist decide together whether to emphasize skills, insight, or motivation work.

Session formats are not listed in the original biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, shorten a check-in when time is limited, or avoid travel when schedules are tight. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and homework so the work connects to everyday life without requiring extra sessions.