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Therapist profile

Karen Gano

LCSW-C, LCSW, CSW New Mexico 33 years of experience

Compassionate support for life transitions

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Karen Gano
  • Empowerment counseling
  • Practical coping tools
  • Client-centered approach

About Karen

Karen Gano is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people navigate major life shifts. She focuses on practical steps that make everyday life feel more manageable. Karen uses clear, direct conversation to help clients name what matters and decide on small, useful changes.

She practices a client-centered style that keeps the person's goals at the center. Motivational interviewing is part of her approach, helping people find their own reasons to change. Mindfulness and solution-focused methods are used to build coping tools and short-term plans.

Karen brings more than 33 years of clinical experience to her work. Her background includes medical social work in trauma, emergency medicine, critical care, oncology, palliative care, and domestic abuse settings. That experience informs how she supports people facing illness, caregiving strain, and end-of-life concerns.

Her practice emphasizes empowerment and self-care. Sessions often focus on increasing self-awareness, strengthening self-esteem, and developing concrete strategies for stress, anxiety, grief, relationship challenges, and addiction-related concerns. Karen also helps people facing career shifts, divorce and separation, blended family issues, and midlife transitions.

She holds LCSW and related social work credentials across several states and practices from New Mexico. People meet her for help with coping during change, building healthier relationships, and moving from surviving to thriving.

How her approaches shape online care

Client-Centered Therapy prioritizes the person's own goals and pace, with the therapist listening and helping the person name what matters. It works well for people who want to be heard and to set their own agenda for change.

Motivational Interviewing focuses on finding personal reasons to change and strengthening commitment. It is useful for situations like addiction, career moves, relationship decisions, and other areas where motivation is needed to take the next step.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and presence skills to reduce reactivity and manage stress and anxiety. These practices can help with grief, caregiver fatigue, trauma reactions, and everyday overwhelm.

Finding the best approach is part of the process. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. That may mean trying a few techniques and adjusting the plan as progress is made.

Confirm the current online session options before booking, as formats are not specified here. Many people appreciate online care because it can fit into busy schedules, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Online work can make it easier to practice skills between sessions and to bring real-life situations into the conversation.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Relationship issuesTrauma and abuseGriefSelf esteemCoping with life changes

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoachingCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

33+ years

Credentials

New Mexico, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Maine

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Karen address?

She supports people with life transitions, grief, trauma, anxiety, stress, relationship and intimacy issues, addiction-related concerns, career changes, and caregiver strain among other topics.

How would you describe her therapy style?

Her style is client-centered and goal oriented, using motivational interviewing, mindfulness, solution-focused techniques, and trauma-focused elements to build practical coping skills.

What is her professional background?

She has over 33 years of clinical counseling experience and a long history as a medical social worker in trauma, emergency medicine, critical care, oncology, palliative care, and domestic abuse settings.

Where is she based and what credentials does she hold?

She practices from New Mexico and holds LCSW and related social work credentials including LCSW-C in Maryland and LCSW licenses in multiple states listed in her profile.

Which languages are supported for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can I work with her from outside the United States?

International clients are not currently accepted.

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.

What are the first steps to begin working together?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

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