About Karen
Karen Nickelson works with people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, grief or life changes. She helps with relationship concerns, low self-esteem and practical coping skills. Karen is an AASW social worker with six years of clinical experience in Australia.
Karen trained with a Master of Social Work and a Master of Mental Health Practice, plus a Bachelor of Human Services in Counselling focused on child and family work.
How Karen works
She also holds a Certificate IV in Telephone Counselling. These qualifications inform a practical, compassionate style in sessions. Sessions focus on listening first, then finding useful ways to manage problems.
Karen offers straightforward strategies to reduce anxiety and rebuild routine after loss. She works with carers and people navigating palliative or end-of-life issues, and supports those facing major life transitions. Her approach is warm and honest.
She aims to create a space where people can talk without feeling judged. Conversations are guided but down-to-earth, with an emphasis on small steps that make daily life easier. People who prefer different formats can use video, phone, chat or text-based messaging for their sessions.
Karen explains options and helps decide what suits each person’s schedule and needs. She welcomes questions about how therapy might fit into your life.
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
- Relationship issues
- Grief
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hearing impaired
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Traumatic brain injury
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | AASW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 6 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Australia |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that guide online support
Karen uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help people manage emotions and rebuild routines. One common approach is grief-focused work, which helps people name losses, process difficult feelings and find practical ways to remember and adapt. This is useful for bereavement, end-of-life transitions and major life changes.Another frequently used method focuses on coping and skills-building for anxiety and stress. Sessions teach breathing, grounding and pacing strategies while developing small behavioural changes that reduce overwhelm. These techniques suit people needing day-to-day tools to manage worry and regain control.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Karen will work with each person to match techniques to their goals, preferences and practical needs. She explains options, checks what is helpful, and adjusts the plan as therapy progresses.
Online therapy offers flexibility in how people connect. Options include video calls for a face-to-face feel, phone sessions when bandwidth or camera use is difficult, live chat for shorter check-ins, and text-based messaging for ongoing support between sessions. These formats make it easier to fit therapy around work, caregiving or medical commitments while still getting regular, structured help.
Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
Book with KarenWe will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.
Common questions
What issues does Karen commonly help with?
How would you describe Karen's therapeutic style?
What background and experience does Karen have?
What credential does Karen hold and where is she based?
Which languages and regions are supported?
What session formats are available?
How does payment and cost work?
How do I begin working with Karen?
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.
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you. Entries are not assessed or endorsed by this directory.
Other entries for stress, anxiety
Supportive LCSW helping people build strength and clarity
Practical, trauma-aware therapy for everyday life
Practical, relational therapy for life transitions