Karen Plascencia (she/her)

When working with anxiety I offer a compassionate and intuitive approach towards understanding cognitive distortions, emotional dis-regulation and behavioral patterns. More often than not, we are more preoccupied with how anxiety negatively impacts our life than curious as to why we're experiencing it , how it's communicating and how can we better understand it. Managing anxiety is not about rejecting our process but rather channeling our experience towards something productive

No one is born with the perfect formula for the perfect relationship, nor do they exist. Relationships require time, patience, disagreements, nurture, and negotiations. I have experience working with early onset relationships, long distance commitments, and marital engagements. In my work I look at attachment patterns, communication styles, and compatibility. I provide clients with helpful tools to better navigate challenging relational spaces and become intentional problem solvers.

Family conflict derives from generational cycles that are often no longer useful or helpful in our present relationships. My intention as a first generation therapist is to validate your life narrative, learn about your upbringing, and hold space for the complexity that goes into navigating different personalities, mindsets, and insecurities. I guide my clients towards identifying their core values, rebuilding boundaries, and reinforcing their self- identity.

In my approach with individuals I do my best to encourage a space of authenticity and genuine self. I believe my clients thrive when they feel seen and heard for who they are. I do my best to provide a space for meaningful conversation and self- discovery. My hope for every client is that they get to walk away feeling at ease and comforted by our therapeutic alliance.

Part of a collaborative approach is to provide my couples with the opportunity to gain tools and skill sets towards becoming more intentional problem solvers. An integral aspect is seeing the relationship as a team effort more so than an individualistic opportunity. I focus on helping my couple develop and nurture a language built on safe spaces, rules of engagement and personal accountability.