Karen Jurls , LICSW

Karen Jurls is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) based in Alabama who frames therapy as an essential form of self-care. With decades of work in both mental health and public health, she focuses on helping people manage the everyday stresses and deeper challenges that affect well-being. She has particular experience supporting adoptive parents and their children, and her practice addresses issues such as depression, anxiety, low self-confidence, grief tied to relationship and family changes, difficulty coping, and trauma.

Karen emphasizes a respectful, collaborative approach that centers each person’s needs and feelings. She works with clients to set meaningful goals, explore patterns of behavior and emotion, and develop practical strategies to make lasting change. Her aim is to help individuals gain perspective, build healthier coping skills, and navigate life transitions so daily living becomes more manageable and fulfilling.

Holding an LICSW credential, which indicates advanced clinical training and independent practice as a social worker, she brings a compassionate, goal-oriented style to her work. Karen’s background in public health informs a broad view of wellness, and she applies this experience to support clients through recovery, growth, and improved functioning.

Therapeutic Approaches and Virtual Care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and learn practical skills to accept difficult thoughts and emotions while taking actions that align with what matters most. It is often helpful for stress, anxiety, and navigating life transitions.

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on understanding how early relationships shape current patterns in connections with others. This approach can support individuals and families dealing with relationship challenges, adoption and foster care issues, and attachment concerns.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) offers structured strategies to identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and replace them with more effective responses. CBT is commonly used for depression, anxiety, coping skills, and improving daily functioning.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and the therapist works collaboratively with each person to determine what fits best based on needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative exploration helps shape a treatment plan that feels practical and achievable.

Online therapy options such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging provide flexibility for scheduling and make it easier to maintain continuity of care amid busy lives. These formats allow therapists and licensed professionals to deliver focused, goal-oriented work while adapting to a client’s routine and location.