Karen Pelligra , LMHC

Karen Pelligra is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in New York with 22 years of experience across outpatient community mental health clinics, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and home-based family services. She brings long-standing experience helping people navigate depression, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma, and major life transitions such as divorce or the empty nest, with an approach grounded in support and empowerment.

Her practice emphasizes collaboration - she works alongside each person to identify goals and apply strategies that fit their situation. Karen draws from a range of counseling styles to tailor care to individual needs, focusing on helping clients feel heard, strengthened, and better equipped to manage life’s challenges. Her background in multiple care settings informs a practical, compassionate approach to treatment planning and coping skills development.

Rather than prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions, she partners with clients to explore options, build resilience, and move toward meaningful change. Her professional training as an LMHC - Licensed Mental Health Counselor - informs a clinical framework that balances practical techniques with empathic support.

Approaches That Translate Well to Online Therapy

Karen Pelligra uses client-centered therapy to create a collaborative space where the person’s priorities guide the work; this approach emphasizes empathy, active listening, and helping individuals clarify their goals so they can make meaningful changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is used to identify and adjust unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns; it is practical and skill-oriented, and can be helpful for anxiety, depression, and stress management. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills - tools that support people managing intense emotions, relationship challenges, or patterns of impulsive behavior.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Karen will collaborate with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and may combine elements from different approaches to create a personalized plan. This collaborative process helps ensure the work is relevant and useful.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - so sessions can fit into busy schedules and different life circumstances. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care and access therapists and licensed professionals from home or other convenient locations while using approaches that translate effectively to virtual formats.