Karen Garraputa, LCMHC

Karen Garraputa is a licensed clinician in North Carolina with 25 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. She supports people dealing with LGBT concerns and those coping with major life changes. Karen aims to make the first steps toward change feel manageable and practical.

She frames hard decisions as part of a story you can keep writing. Sessions focus on clear, doable changes rather than jargon. Karen listens to each person's story and helps them find the next step that fits their life.

Her work draws on cognitive behavioral methods to connect thoughts, actions, and feelings. That helps people notice patterns and try small experiments that can shift daily life. She also uses dialectical behavior ideas and mindfulness skills to reduce distress and increase tolerance for difficult emotions.

In sessions people practice skills, talk through recent struggles, and set simple, measurable goals. Karen describes the process as collaborative - she rides shotgun while clients steer toward what matters to them. The pace is adjusted to each person's comfort and needs.

She also addresses concerns around forgiveness, guilt and shame, life purpose, mood disorders, self-love, and women's issues. The goal is practical progress: clearer choices, steadier moods, and better coping in everyday situations.

CBT and DBT approaches for online care

Karen uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot and change unhelpful thought patterns and test new behaviors in daily life. CBT sessions often involve setting small goals, practicing skills between meetings, and reviewing what worked. Dialectical Behavior Therapy ideas are used to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindful awareness so people can handle intense feelings with fewer impulsive reactions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist and client will discuss goals, try techniques, and adjust methods based on what helps most. That collaborative process makes it easier to tailor sessions to each person's needs and preferences.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and guided skill practice, while phone sessions can fit a shorter break or use less bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging are practical for quick check-ins, skill reminders, and between-session support. These formats offer flexibility so people can fit therapy into work, family, or other routines while working through stress, anxiety, trauma, or life changes.