LCSW, 25 years of experience
Frequently rebooked
Welcome! My name is Karen Fahey. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years of experience. I enjoy working with individuals and ages 18 and up. In a safe and supportive environment, my approach is compassionate, nonjudgmental, collaborative and holistic. My goal is to help you navigate challenges related to anxiety, depression, self esteem, life transitions and relationships. Together we will strive to define your values and find what gives you meaning and purpose so that you can begin to live a more fulfilling and productive life. I will help you to understand patterns of thinking and behavior and learn to cultivate greater self awareness and self acceptance. Starting therapy can feel uncomfortable and scary but by seeking help you are demonstrating that you have courage, strength and hope. I am here to help you on that journey. During my 25 plus years as a therapist I have worked with a diverse population ages 5 throughout the life span. I have worked in a variety of therapeutic settings including private practice, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, outpatient clinics, emergency departments, community mental health centers and a cancer center.
Our first session will be an intake session where I will ask informational and background questions to get to know a little about you as a person. We will discuss your reasons for seeking therapy at this point in your life and what your most significant challenges are. We can meet and greet each other, gather first impressions and see if we might be a good fit for each other.
As a seasoned clinician, I have life and experience to offer. Overall, I have developed strong intuition, have grown more compassionate towards myself and others and truly believe individuals can make positive changes in their lives. I have worked hard as a person and professional to learn and grow in awareness and strength so I may present myself as authentic, competent and sensitive. I am a life long learner. I don't give up on people and help teach them not to give up on themselves. Instead I help people find their innate strengths, problem solve and develop new perspective on themselves and on life and it's challenges.
The clients I best like to work with are motivated to change and increase their level of self awareness. They like to challenge themselves and truly want to heal. They strive for authenticity and meaning. They are willing to learn and implement coping skills.
CBT is a treatment method where you identify thought patterns and learn how to change them to positive or realistic thoughts. This may change how you feel about something which, in turn, may change a behavior. I help clients find different perspectives of looking at things. I help them to identify negative thought patterns and distorted patterns of thinking.
I believe that Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers tools for healthy living. It has four main modules: Mindfulness: To pay attention, on purpose, in the present moment. Interpersonal Effectiveness: To communicate effectively to get what you want and need and make yourself understood. Emotion Regulation: Learn to manage difficult feelings. Distress Tolerance: Learn how to handle frustration.
The mind/body approach is centered upon increasing a person's awareness in the present moment, including what they are feeling in their body and how they are feeling emotionally. It's a way to explore the internal self to gain lasting healing and solutions to deep and complex issues.
In a collaborative effort, I will help you to establish physical and emotional safety, learn to trust yourself and me. I will respect your boundaries and help you to set boundaries and limits with others. I will help you to strive for empowerment in which you feel you have healthy coping skills and feel you are in more control of your life.
2 ratings with written reviews
July 19, 2025
Well for one thing time seemed to go by quickly, so that's a good sign. I think we covered all the important things on our first session,
March 27, 2025
We shall see where we go