Karen Ice
I’m a Marriage and Family Therapist with over 30 years of experience walking alongside individuals and couples through some of life’s most challenging and traumatic seasons.
I’m a Marriage and Family Therapist with over 30 years of experience walking alongside individuals and couples through some of life’s most challenging seasons. I prefer working in an intensive format, 16 hours over two or three days.
I continue to train in, and specialize in, pro-marriage counseling, drawing from Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Focus Marital Therapy (FMT), and Encounter-centered Transformation to help you take a deep dive and to find small wins along the way. When it’s welcomed, faith will play a meaningful role in the work we do. I believe in the healing power of what’s possible. I strive to offer a safe, honest, 'carefrontational', and encouraging space where life-altering change can happen.
First session
In your first session with me, you can expect an honest and down-to-earth conversation. I’ll take time to get to know you, what you’re walking through, where you’ve been, and what you’re biggest hopes are for moving forward. We’ll consider your past experiences, the patterns or pain points you’ve noticed, and what led you to reach out now. We will also consider what is at stake. This first session is an initial assessment and it's about creating a safe space where you feel seen, heard, and supported. There’s no pressure. We will take the time to figure things out. You just need to have a willingness to start.
Strengths
I enjoy therapy in an "intensive" format. That means we generally spend 16 hours together in the span of two or three days. This format allows us to build momentum and work through some of marriage's biggest challenges, without taking a week or two off in between sessions. I meet with couples together in the sessions. This adds a layer of support, another voice, and witness for each of you. What stands out about my approach is that I'm straightforward and practical. I meet you where you are, and I’m here to walk with you. With over 30 years of experience, I’ve sat with a lot of couples experiencing a lot of frustration, heartache, and pain. I’ve learned how to listen well, ask meaningful questions, and help you find what’s already in you. I blend proven methods from RLT, FMT, and Encounter-centered Transformation, and ultimately I always come back to what actually works for you. My strength is helping people feel secure, seen, and supported while we do hard, meaningful work of growth and relational repair. We slow things down and take one step at a time. I love that we can work intensely for two or three days and get through what usually takes six to twelve months, or longer. I believe in investing in our marriages.
Ideal clients
I’m best positioned to serve couples who will show up, especially when feeling lost, broken, or unsure of where to begin. I want you to be willing to lean in, be present, engage, open up, and most of all, work. I operate from a truth-telling, sometimes confrontational style. The couples I work with are willing to take a deep dive into current concerns, family of origin, childhood adaptations, trauma work, and new strategies that work for you. Whether you're navigating betrayal, communication breakdowns, emotional disconnection, or the weight of past wounds, you don’t have to figure it out on your own. My dream clients are flawed and messy. They’re people who want more, including more clarity, more connection, and more healing. They just don't know how to get there yet. It's a place for growth, restoration, and a deeper sense of wholeness and self. If you’re willing to work on yourself and your relationship, lean in, be honest, become more relational, and take the next step forward, I’ll meet you there with a steady belief that repair is possible.
Treatment methods
Relational
I’ve researched, trained in, and have been integrating Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Focus Marital Therapy (FMT), and Encounter-centered Transformation into my work because I’ve seen firsthand how powerful it is, especially for couples. These methods help identify destructive patterns, trace them back to their roots, and step out of the reactive mindset. It’s a mix of pattern recognition, family-of-origin exploration, trauma work, truth-telling, and repair strategies. It can be confrontational at times. It's also direct, practical, and deeply healing. I’ve watched individuals and couples begin to soften, open up, and actually hear each other, and themselves, again.
Solution-Focused Brief Treatment
I've spent most of my 30+ year career using Solution Focused Therapy. I like this approach because sometimes we’re so overwhelmed by the problem that we forget we still have power. I help you find the small steps, the moments of strength you’ve already shown, and we build from there. We don’t ignore symptoms or pain. We just don’t stay stuck there. We find what works, even if it’s just one thing, and then we lean into that to create momentum.
Faith-based therapy
I have strong beliefs and deep conviction when it comes to faith-based Christian counseling. I fully acknowledge that I'm not a theologian, and I don’t pretend to have all the Biblical answers, but I know Who does. I believe in what’s possible when God is invited into the healing process. Hope matters. Faith matters. And I’ve witnessed how the presence of Jesus changes everything. Having faith breathes life into the middle of our messes. It's a game changer.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
Serves
Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 33595