- Grief and loss focus
- Practical coping skills
- Collaborative approach
About Karissa
Karissa Thomas is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) based in Michigan who helps people navigate grief, stress, anxiety, trauma, and relationship concerns. She aims to make clients feel heard and understood so they can begin to work through the issues that matter most to them. Karissa brings a direct but compassionate style and is comfortable mixing lightness with hard conversations.
She approaches sessions with curiosity and without judgment. Karissa treats each person as the expert on their own life and collaborates on practical next steps. Her way of working is straightforward and down-to-earth, focused on skills you can use between meetings as well as what happens in session.
Karissa uses methods such as acceptance and commitment strategies, attachment-based ideas, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and skills from dialectical behavior approaches. She adapts tools to what fits each person’s situation, whether the concern is depression, bipolar symptoms, or coping with a major life change. This includes support around caregiving stress, chronic illness, and end-of-life concerns.
Over seven years of practice informs her ability to handle complex issues like trauma, addiction, and intimacy-related struggles. She also supports people facing parenting challenges, body image and eating issues, and career transitions. Sessions feel collaborative and practical, with a focus on realistic steps forward.
If you want a therapist who listens first and then works with you to set practical goals, Karissa offers a calm, honest approach that blends compassion with clear guidance.
She approaches sessions with curiosity and without judgment. Karissa treats each person as the expert on their own life and collaborates on practical next steps. Her way of working is straightforward and down-to-earth, focused on skills you can use between meetings as well as what happens in session.
Karissa uses methods such as acceptance and commitment strategies, attachment-based ideas, cognitive-behavioral techniques, and skills from dialectical behavior approaches. She adapts tools to what fits each person’s situation, whether the concern is depression, bipolar symptoms, or coping with a major life change. This includes support around caregiving stress, chronic illness, and end-of-life concerns.
Over seven years of practice informs her ability to handle complex issues like trauma, addiction, and intimacy-related struggles. She also supports people facing parenting challenges, body image and eating issues, and career transitions. Sessions feel collaborative and practical, with a focus on realistic steps forward.
If you want a therapist who listens first and then works with you to set practical goals, Karissa offers a calm, honest approach that blends compassion with clear guidance.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Stress, AnxietyAddictionsFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHearing impairedHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryTrichotillomaniaVisually impairedWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems
Experience
7+ years
Credentials
Michigan
Languages
English
Therapeutic approaches and online care that fit your life
Karissa uses a mix of approaches to meet different needs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying your values and building small, committed actions that move you toward what matters. It can help when worry, depression, or life transitions make taking steps feel overwhelming.Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early connections shape current relationships. It helps people understand patterns in intimacy, communication, and trust so they can make different relationship choices. Client-Centered Therapy centers on listening closely and following the client’s priorities, which creates space to name problems and decide what matters most.
Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Karissa works with each person to choose or combine methods based on their goals, needs, and what feels most useful. Decisions about approach happen together, and she adjusts plans as progress and needs evolve.
Confirm the specific online session options before booking, since formats are not listed in the profile. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into daily life, reduce travel time, and let people check in during workday breaks or after appointments. It also allows for shorter focused check-ins or longer sessions when needed. Licensed professionals can adapt these approaches to work well over remote sessions, and Karissa will help tailor the process to suit schedules and goals.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Karissa help with?
She supports people with grief and hospice related issues, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy concerns, addictions, and caregiving stress. The list also includes ADHD, body image, eating issues, and coping with life changes.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Karissa is straightforward and compassionate, blending curiosity with practical steps. She values honesty and works collaboratively while bringing some lightness into difficult conversations.
How much experience does she have?
She has seven years of clinical experience working with a range of concerns including trauma, mood conditions, and caregiver stress.
What are her credentials and where is she located?
Karissa holds an LMSW, which stands for Licensed Master Social Worker, and practices from Michigan.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English, and she does accept international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the profile does not list specific formats. Ask during scheduling which formats are available.
How does cost and payment work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.