- Warm and direct
- Focus on thoughts and habits
- Strengths-based approach
About Karissa
Karissa Thomas is a Michigan-based Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) who focuses on helping people navigate a wide range of concerns. She helps with anxiety, depression, stress, relationship and intimacy-related issues, grief, and parenting strain. She also supports people facing trauma, addictions, ADHD, body image and eating concerns, and life transitions.
Karissa approaches sessions with curiosity and no judgment. She treats the person in front of her as the expert on their life and works in a practical, straightforward way. She aims to make clients feel heard and understood, and she uses a warm, genuine tone that can include humor when appropriate.
In session she blends conversational listening with goal-focused work. That might mean talking through patterns of thought and everyday habits, practicing new ways of coping, or trying short, concrete exercises to shift difficult moments. She values honesty and vulnerability as part of the process and encourages collaboration on goals and steps forward.
Her background as a Clinical Social Worker informs a strengths-based outlook. Over seven years of professional experience guide how she tailors approaches to each person. Karissa will discuss practical options and match strategies to what the client wants to change in daily life.
People who prefer direct feedback and clear next steps often do well with her style. Those seeking help around stress, mood, trauma, or relationship concerns can expect straightforward conversations and down-to-earth tools to use between sessions.
Karissa approaches sessions with curiosity and no judgment. She treats the person in front of her as the expert on their life and works in a practical, straightforward way. She aims to make clients feel heard and understood, and she uses a warm, genuine tone that can include humor when appropriate.
In session she blends conversational listening with goal-focused work. That might mean talking through patterns of thought and everyday habits, practicing new ways of coping, or trying short, concrete exercises to shift difficult moments. She values honesty and vulnerability as part of the process and encourages collaboration on goals and steps forward.
Her background as a Clinical Social Worker informs a strengths-based outlook. Over seven years of professional experience guide how she tailors approaches to each person. Karissa will discuss practical options and match strategies to what the client wants to change in daily life.
People who prefer direct feedback and clear next steps often do well with her style. Those seeking help around stress, mood, trauma, or relationship concerns can expect straightforward conversations and down-to-earth tools to use between sessions.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Stress, AnxietyAddictionsFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHearing impairedHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryTrichotillomaniaVisually impairedWomen'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)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems
Experience
7+ years
Credentials
Michigan
Languages
English
How Karissa’s approaches translate to online work
Karissa uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) among other approaches. ACT helps people notice unhelpful thought patterns and choose actions that align with their values instead of getting stuck. CBT focuses on identifying and changing everyday thoughts and habits that keep problems going, which can be helpful for anxiety, depression, and sleep issues.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they will decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as needed based on progress and comfort.
If you are considering online sessions, confirm the specific session formats before booking since the biography does not list them. Online therapy can make it easier to fit care into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when time is tight, and reduce travel time. It also supports continuity of work when life changes or travel would otherwise interrupt sessions. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT and CBT tools to work in remote sessions, using conversation, brief exercises, and homework between meetings to help change thoughts and everyday habits.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Karissa help with?
She works with a broad range of issues including anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, stress, grief, parenting challenges, addictions, ADHD, body image and eating concerns.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is practical and straightforward while also warm and curious. She listens without judgment and collaborates with clients to set goals and try doable strategies.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
She has seven years of professional experience as a Clinical Social Worker and uses that background to adapt methods to each person’s needs.
What credentials and location are on record?
She holds an LMSW, which stands for Licensed Master Social Worker, and she practices out of Michigan.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English, and she is able to work with international clients.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm the current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific session formats.
How are costs handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to begin working together?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist’s availability.