Karina Fernandez

Compassionate, practical therapy for life’s challenges

LCSW Tennessee

Experience: 16 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages: English, Spanish

About Karina

Karina Fernandez is an LCSW with 16 years of experience helping people navigate depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and a range of life stressors.

Background and approach

She draws on a mix of evidence-informed methods to address difficult experiences including trauma and abuse, complicated grief, addiction concerns, compassion fatigue, and relationship or family tensions. Her background includes work with survivors of violent crimes and with people managing complex loss, and she frames therapy around clients' strengths and practical coping skills.

Her approach blends cognitive behavioral techniques with dialectical strategies and mindfulness to build emotional regulation and clearer thinking. She also offers EMDR for addressing trauma-related memories and uses client-centered principles to tailor sessions to each person’s pace and goals.

Therapy emphasizes identifying existing strengths, developing coping tools, and restoring a sense of agency when life circumstances feel overwhelming. Karina provides services in Tennessee and works in both English and Spanish.

She accepts clients through a subscription model that allows flexible scheduling and offers video, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging formats to fit different needs and routines.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Access

Karina commonly integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and EMDR alongside client-centered techniques. CBT involves identifying and shifting unhelpful thinking patterns and building practical skills to reduce symptoms like anxiety or depression. EMDR is used to process trauma-related memories by pairing focused attention with guided protocols to reduce the emotional charge of past events. Client-centered work emphasizes a respectful, collaborative relationship where the person’s goals guide the pace and focus of therapy.

Finding the right approach is treated as a collaborative process. The therapist works with each client to explore which methods fit their needs and preferences, adjusting techniques over time to match changing goals and responses to treatment.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging which make it easier to fit care into a busy life. These formats allow flexible scheduling and continuity of care when in-person visits are impractical, helping people access licensed professionals without rearranging major parts of their routine.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Karina commonly address?

She works with a wide set of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem, addictions, relationship and family problems, sleeping difficulties, parenting stress, compassion fatigue, and various other life changes.

What is her therapeutic style and approach?

Her style blends client-centered listening with structured approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and mindfulness to teach coping skills and support emotional regulation.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has 16 years of experience working in mental health settings and with people who have faced depression, anxiety, PTSD, complex grief, and survivors of violent crimes.

What credentials and location should I know about?

She is a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - holding Tennessee license TN LCSW 6768 and practices with clients located in Tennessee.

Does she provide services in languages other than English?

Yes, sessions are available in both English and Spanish to accommodate bilingual clients.

Which session formats does she offer?

Karina offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging as available session formats.

How are sessions priced and scheduled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

What steps are involved to begin therapy with her?

To start, select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist’s availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Trauma and abuse Grief Self esteem Depression

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsSleeping disordersParenting issuesCoping with life changes Compassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesBlended family issuesCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommunication problemsCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivity Isolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Mindfulness TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

16+ years

Licensed

Tennessee

Languages

English, Spanish