Karissa Thomas, LMSW

Karissa Thomas is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) based in Michigan. She aims to help people feel heard and understood while they face stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, grief, parenting challenges, and other life changes. Karissa brings a warm, nonjudgmental presence and a practical, straightforward style to sessions.

She emphasizes collaboration and treats each person as the expert on their own life. Her approach is curious and genuine, mixing compassion with clear, usable strategies. She is willing to use humor when it fits and values honesty and openness in the work.

Karissa uses techniques drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and attachment-based work to address thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns. She also incorporates client-centered and dialectical behavior therapy ideas when helpful. In session she focuses on small, manageable steps rather than overwhelming changes.

Over seven years of practice, she has supported people with a wide range of concerns including trauma, addiction, eating issues, bipolar disorder, ADHD, intimacy-related problems, and caregiver stress. She also helps people navigate career questions, body image concerns, and coping after loss.

Sessions are offered through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs. Karissa works with each person to set goals and choose the approaches that feel most useful for them.

How Karissa’s Approaches Work Online

Karissa commonly draws on cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy to shape online sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps people notice and change patterns of thought and behavior that fuel anxiety, depression, or difficult habits. Acceptance and commitment therapy emphasizes identifying values and building committed action even when strong emotions are present, which is useful for stress, chronic worry, and life transitions.

She treats finding the right approach as a collaborative process. Together a person and Karissa will talk about goals, try different techniques, and adjust plans based on what feels useful. That collaborative tuning helps ensure sessions focus on practical steps that fit each person’s needs and preferences.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversational work and real-time skill practice. Phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth is limited or a quick check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief updates, journaling prompts, or focused skill coaching between longer sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, caregiving, or other routines.