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KP Portrait of Karen Pekarcik

Karen Pekarcik

Calm, practical support for life transitions

LCSW California

Experience
9 years in practice
Focus areas
Grief, Parenting, Self esteem
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapy
Languages
English
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About Karen

Karen Pekarcik is a licensed clinical social worker in California who brings nine years of professional experience to her practice. She focuses on helping people manage stress and anxiety, work through trauma and abuse, navigate parenting challenges, and strengthen self-esteem and motivation.

Background and approach

Her approach centers on meeting clients where they are and encouraging steady, realistic steps toward improved well-being. She creates a warm, nonjudgmental space that invites honest conversation about thoughts and feelings.

Using evidence-informed methods such as cognitive behavioral techniques along with attachment-based and client-centered strategies, she collaborates with clients to identify practical skills and new perspectives that support lasting change. Karen emphasizes empowerment, recognizing the courage it takes to pursue a more satisfying life and offering steady support as clients move toward their goals.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Karen draws from cognitive behavioral therapy to help clients identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop concrete skills for managing anxiety, mood, and stress. CBT techniques are practical and skill-focused, making them useful for addressing day-to-day symptoms and for building coping strategies.

She also uses attachment-based principles to explore relational patterns and emotional responses rooted in early relationships. This approach can help clients understand how their past connections influence current relationship dynamics and emotional regulation.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Karen works with clients to assess needs, preferences, and goals, and blends methods as appropriate so the work fits each person's situation rather than following a single formula.

Online therapy with her is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, providing flexibility for varied schedules and communication styles. These remote formats make it easier to maintain consistency in care and to practice skills between sessions, while allowing clients to access therapy from their own environments.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist help with?
She supports people facing grief, stress and anxiety, trauma and abuse, parenting and family problems, relationship and intimacy issues, depression and bipolar concerns, career and caregiving stress, and related challenges.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is collaborative and client-centered, creating an open, nonjudgmental environment where clients can explore thoughts and feelings while working on practical skills.
What is her professional background and experience?
She is a licensed clinical social worker with nine years of experience helping clients with stress, anxiety, trauma, parenting, self-esteem, and motivation.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is licensed in California under the credential LCSW with license number CA LCSW 80071.
Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are conducted in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available for online work?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different communication preferences.
How are costs and billing handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working with this therapist?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, fill out a brief matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

GriefParenting issuesSelf esteemCoping with life changesCoaching

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationDomestic violenceFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthSelf-loveSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

9+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English