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KT Portrait of Karissa Thomas

Karissa Thomas

Compassionate, practical support for life's hard moments

LMSW Michigan

Experience
7 years in practice
Focus areas
LGBT, Relationship, Trauma and abuse
Approaches
Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages
English
Continue with Karissa

About Karissa

Karissa Thomas is a licensed master social worker (LMSW) based in Michigan who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, and trauma. She aims to create a space where clients feel heard and understood.

Background and approach

Karissa combines a straightforward style with warmth and occasional humor to make difficult conversations easier. She works from a curious, nonjudgmental stance and treats each person as the expert on their own life.

Sessions tend to be practical and focused on real steps clients can use between meetings. Karissa values honesty and openness and invites clients to bring the things that matter most to them.

Her approach draws on several evidence-based methods, including the Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment-based ideas, client-centered care, and cognitive behavioral techniques. Those tools are used to help with emotional regulation, communication, coping skills, and rebuilding trust after hurt.

Karissa has seven years of experience and uses that background to tailor plans to individual needs. She supports people dealing with grief, eating concerns, addiction, bipolar disorder, ADHD, caregiver stress, and many other challenges.

Practical goals and clear steps are emphasized throughout therapy. Sessions are offered in English and international clients are welcome.

Karissa helps people clarify what they want to change, reduce overwhelming feelings, and take manageable steps toward a more balanced life.

Online approaches that meet you where you are

Karissa uses the Gottman Method to help people improve communication and rebuild trust in close relationships; this approach focuses on practical exercises and skills that reduce conflict and increase connection. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings while committing to actions that match their values, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relational patterns affect current bonds and helps people develop more supported ways of relating.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Karissa will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals, needs, and comfort level rather than applying a single technique. She combines tools from different approaches to build a plan that feels realistic and useful.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video is helpful for deeper conversations and exercises that benefit from face-to-face interaction. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for quick check-ins. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief updates, coping reminders, or when scheduling a short check-in between appointments.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Karissa address?
She supports people with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship struggles, grief, eating and sleep issues, addictions, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and many life transitions.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Karissa brings a curious, nonjudgmental, and straightforward approach with warmth and occasional humor to make hard conversations more manageable.
What is her background and experience?
She is a licensed master social worker with seven years of clinical experience working with a range of mental health and life challenges.
Where is she located and what credential does she hold?
Karissa practices in Michigan and holds the credential MI LMSW, which is a licensed master social worker credential in Michigan.
Which languages and international options are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Therapy is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does billing and cost work?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling a session according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

LGBTRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseEating disordersCoping with life changes

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

Licensed in

Michigan

Languages

English