IFSTherapists

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LICSW

Karen Guillory, LICSW

  • Experience20 years
  • LocationDistrict of Columbia
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Relationship, and Trauma and abuse
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Karen

Karen Guillory is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, trauma, relationship concerns, and major life transitions. She practices from a strengths-oriented, trauma-informed perspective and emphasizes collaborative work that recognizes each person as the expert of their own story.

Background and approach

Her approach blends empathic listening with practical strategies to address symptoms and daily challenges. Clients may encounter support for a wide range of concerns including grief, parenting struggles, addictions, depression, bipolar disorder, and issues with self-esteem or intimacy.

She also attends to more specific needs such as caregiver stress, communication problems, dissociation, and multicultural concerns. Karen integrates Internal Family Systems alongside client-centered and evidence-based therapies to help people explore internal parts, identify unhelpful patterns, and develop skills that foster meaningful change.

Known for a nonjudgmental, solution-focused stance, she aims to empower people to take courageous steps toward greater well-being while tailoring interventions to individual strengths and goals. Karen is licensed in the District of Columbia as an LICSW and works with English-speaking clients.

Integrating therapeutic approaches for online care



Internal Family Systems (IFS) invites exploration of internal parts and how they relate to one another, helping people understand inner conflicts and cultivate self-leadership; this approach can be useful for trauma, anxiety, and complex emotional patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through practical exercises and skill-building, which often helps with anxiety, depression, and stress-related concerns. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathic listening and the therapeutic relationship, offering a nonjudgmental space where clients' own goals and strengths guide the work.

Finding the right approach is part of the process, and Karen works collaboratively with clients to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they may combine elements of different approaches over time to address symptoms, increase resilience, and support personal growth.

Online sessions are offered through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for varying schedules and lifestyles. These options allow clients to access therapy from home or other convenient locations and to choose the format that best supports their comfort and communication style.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Karen address in therapy?
She works with a broad range of issues including stress, anxiety, relationships, trauma and abuse, parenting, addictions, grief, depression, bipolar disorder, and self-esteem challenges.
What is Karen's therapeutic style and approach?
Her practice is trauma-informed and strengths-based, combining client-centered support with solution-focused work and evidence-based techniques to build coping skills and insight.
How much experience does she bring to sessions?
Karen has two decades of professional experience providing clinical social work services and applying a range of therapeutic methods.
What are Karen's credentials and where is she licensed?
She holds the LICSW credential and is licensed in the District of Columbia with license number DC LICSW LC50077810.
Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are conducted in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats are available for therapy?
Clients can meet with her via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on their preferences and scheduling.
How are fees and subscription handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What should someone do to begin working with Karen?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule appointments based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseParenting issuesCoping with life changes

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Caregiver issues and stressCo-morbidityCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDissociationFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSLife purposeMidlife crisisMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSelf-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Narrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

20+ years

Licensed

District of Columbia

Languages

English