IFSTherapists

The therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp and we will earn a commission if you use our link - at no cost to you.

LICSW, LCSW

Karin Gardner, LICSW, LCSW

  • Experience7 years
  • LocationNew York
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Relationship, and Trauma and abuse
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Continue with Karin

Review online therapy options and next steps on BetterHelp.

About Karin

Karin Gardner is a licensed social worker who brings a person-centered, humanistic stance to therapy while integrating a range of evidence-informed methods to meet each client’s needs.

Background and approach

With LICSW and LCSW credentials and seven years of professional experience, she focuses on helping people navigate stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and relationship challenges, as well as life transitions and coping with acute or chronic illness. She emphasizes clients' capacity for self-directed growth and works collaboratively to strengthen resilience, communication, and emotional regulation.

Karin blends approaches such as Internal Family Systems, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-Based Therapy, client-centered listening, and cognitive behavioral techniques to tailor care to the individual. Her practice includes attention to family dynamics, parenting concerns, anger, self-esteem, career issues, and a range of medical and developmental complexities.

Based in New York, Karin offers a supportive, nonjudgmental environment focused on building on existing strengths and helping clients move toward meaningful change. She invites people who are ready to take next steps in their personal development to begin a collaborative process aimed at improved wellbeing and healthier relationships.

Integrating Approaches in Online Therapy



Internal Family Systems is a model that helps people identify and dialogue with different parts of themselves to reduce internal conflict and heal from trauma. It can be useful for emotional overwhelm, dissociation, and patterns that feel stuck. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying values, practicing acceptance of difficult feelings, and taking committed action toward meaningful goals; it often helps with anxiety, depression, and life transitions by building psychological flexibility.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic work and Karin treats this as a collaborative process. She will explore a client’s goals, preferences, and needs to determine which combination of methods - for example blending IFS perspectives with ACT or CBT skills - best supports progress, and she adapts the plan as the work evolves.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, allowing clients to access care around schedules, mobility, and geographic constraints. These formats support consistent contact and make it easier to maintain momentum between sessions while tailoring communication methods to what feels most practical and effective for each person.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does Karin address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and relationship issues, as well as coping with life changes, chronic and acute illness, family conflict, and related concerns listed in her specialties.
What therapeutic style does she use in sessions?
Karin takes a person-centered, humanistic stance and weaves in modalities such as Internal Family Systems, ACT, attachment-based work, client-centered therapy, and CBT to fit each client’s needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has seven years of professional experience supporting clients across a range of emotional and relational concerns.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is licensed in New York and holds both LICSW and LCSW credentials with VT LICSW 089.0134519 and NY LCSW 093358 noted in her profile.
Does she conduct sessions in other languages or accept international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
Clients can meet via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging according to the listed session formats.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule appointments based on the therapist’s availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseDepressionCoping with life changes

Also works with

Family conflictsGriefSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCommunication problemsDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersPanic disorder and panic attacksPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

7+ years

Licensed

New York, Vermont

Languages

English