About Karen
Karen Lilley greets people who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or drained. She uses a direct but compassionate style and aims to help people move from merely getting by to feeling more able and resilient. She brings 30 years of clinical experience to sessions and holds an MD and two social work credentials: LCSW-C and LCSW.
Sessions focus on clear, practical steps as well as emotional support. Karen listens for strengths and builds on what already works for each person.
How Karen works
Her core specialties include stress, anxiety, addictions, anger, low self-esteem, and depression. She also addresses attachment concerns, body image, caregiver strain, communication problems, control issues, drug and alcohol addiction, and related struggles like guilt, shame, and isolation. In a typical session she helps people identify patterns, try small behavior changes, and practice new ways to cope.
She offers straightforward feedback and tools you can use between meetings. The aim is realistic progress rather than quick fixes. Karen practices from Maryland and conducts sessions in English.
She works with a range of mood and anxiety problems including panic, social anxiety, and workplace stress. If someone prefers a practical, experienced clinician who balances directness with care, Karen is a clear option.
What Karen works with
The areas below are the ones Karen selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Anger management
Also listed
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Registers | MD, LCSW-C, LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 30 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Maryland |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Evidence-based approaches and online care
Karen uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical change and emotional understanding. One approach emphasizes identifying unhelpful patterns and practicing new behaviors to reduce anxiety and improve mood; this helps with panic attacks, social anxiety, and workplace stress. Another approach focuses on addiction recovery by combining coping skills, relapse prevention strategies, and addressing underlying triggers to support longer-term stability and control over substance use.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will listen to your goals and preferences, then recommend techniques to try. Clients and the therapist review what helps and adjust the plan so it fits daily life and progress feels achievable.
Online therapy offers several practical benefits: video calls let people see facial cues and have a fuller conversation; phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins; live chat and text-based messaging allow brief notes, in-the-moment support, and flexibility across a busy day. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or other schedules while keeping consistent contact with a licensed professional.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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