Karen Shaughness, LCSW

Karen Shaughness is a licensed clinical social worker with 38 years of experience based in New York. She uses a warm, person-centered style to help people facing stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship strain. Karen combines practical tools with a calm, steady presence to make starting therapy easier for worried parents and busy adults.

She often uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice thought patterns and change unhelpful behavior. Mindfulness practices are woven into sessions to reduce anxiety and improve sleep. Motivational interviewing and client-centered therapy guide conversations about change and personal goals.

Her background includes long-standing work in clinical and hospital settings, where she has supported people through addiction, trauma, grief, and family problems. That experience informs a pragmatic approach to complicated life events like divorce, career shifts, and caregiving stress.

Sessions focus on clear goals and usable strategies. Karen helps people build coping skills for panic, OCD symptoms, mood swings, and compassion fatigue. She also addresses issues such as codependency, workplace stress, and parenting strain.

Outside work she spends time outdoors and near water, enjoying kayaking, concerts, gardening, and long walks with her Golden Retriever. Those interests shape a relaxed, down-to-earth style in sessions that many people find approachable and steady.

How Karen’s approaches translate to online care

Karen often uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT is practical and goal oriented, and it can help with anxiety, panic attacks, OCD symptoms, and mood problems.

She also draws on client-centered therapy, which emphasizes listening and collaboration. This approach helps people set their own goals and feel heard while deciding on next steps.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels comfortable, then try techniques that match those priorities. Decisions about pacing and methods are made collaboratively so the client feels involved in planning care.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversations and demonstrations, phone calls can fit a tight schedule or lower bandwidth, and messaging is helpful for brief check-ins or when a shorter, flexible contact is needed. These options make it easier to fit sessions into work, school, or family life.