Karina Fernandez, LCSW

Karina Fernandez is a licensed clinical social worker with 16 years of experience in mental health care. She practices from Tennessee and speaks English and Spanish. Her work focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and trauma-related concerns.

Karina draws on straightforward, practical methods in sessions. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people spot unhelpful thinking and try new actions. She blends client-centered listening with skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and mindfulness to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

Karina has worked across settings with people who have faced traumatic events, including survivors of violent crimes and those navigating complex grief. She also supports people dealing with relationship strain, family-of-origin issues, caregiver stress, codependency, and problems with sleep or substance use.

Her style is down-to-earth and strengths-focused. She looks for practical tools a person can try between sessions. Sessions tend to be a mix of listening, skill practice, and problem solving aimed at immediate, manageable change.

Karina offers several ways to connect, including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Therapy is arranged through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time. To begin, a person completes a short matching questionnaire and schedules according to the therapist's availability.

People who want clear tools for anxiety, help processing trauma, or support through life transitions often find this approach helpful. Sessions are offered in both English and Spanish.

How therapy approaches translate to online care

CBT helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. Online CBT sessions often include brief exercises, thought records, and homework you can practice between meetings to reduce anxiety and change routines.

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and building a trusting relationship. In remote sessions this looks like space to tell your story, reflect on priorities, and set goals at your own pace.

DBT offers concrete skills for managing intense emotions and improving communication. Delivered online, DBT work can include skills coaching, role-play over video, and brief text or chat check-ins to rehearse techniques during daily life.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will help identify which methods fit your needs and adjust as goals change. That partnership means methods can shift from session to session based on what works.

Online therapy offers flexibility across several formats. Video calls let you use visual cues and practice skills together. Phone sessions can work when bandwidth is limited or when you prefer not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging can provide shorter check-ins, quick skill reminders, and easier scheduling for busy days.