Kara Merriam
Compassionate guidance for parental stress and change
- Credentials
- LPC
- Experience
- 14 years
- Licensed in
- Tennessee
- Languages
- English
- Format
- Online sessions
About Kara
Kara Merriam is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Tennessee who supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, low self-esteem, bipolar disorder, compassion fatigue, ADHD, and major life changes. She frames therapy as a place where the client is the expert on their life. Kara offers steady support while helping clients identify strengths and next steps.
Seeking help is a brave decision and she aims to make those first steps easier to take.
Background and approach
Kara draws on 14 years of professional experience in several counseling roles. She focuses on clear, straightforward conversations rather than jargon. Sessions are practical and goal-oriented, with attention to what will help day-to-day functioning.
Kara emphasizes building skills clients can use between sessions to manage symptoms and stress. In the room she listens for strengths and patterns that can be shifted. She works collaboratively to set priorities and to try approaches that feel realistic.
Small changes are framed as progress and reassessed regularly. Kara blends active problem solving with validation of the client’s experience. She also helps people navigate transitions and the emotional fallout of major life events.
The overall goal is better coping, more confidence, and clearer next steps. Her practice is offered in English and operates within Tennessee. Kara welcomes straightforward conversations about goals and preferred ways of working during the initial matching and scheduling steps.
Evidence-based approaches and flexible online care
Kara uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on what helps in daily life. One common approach is practical skills training that teaches emotion regulation and coping strategies to manage anxiety, depression, and stress. These are hands-on techniques clients can practice between sessions to reduce overwhelm and improve functioning.She also emphasizes trauma-informed care that prioritizes safety and pacing when addressing trauma and abuse. This approach helps people process difficult experiences at a pace that feels manageable while building stability first.
Finding the right approach is a joint process. Kara works with each person to identify goals, preferences, and what feels workable in their life, then adjusts methods as needed. The therapist and client collaborate on pacing and techniques so progress fits the person’s needs.
Online therapy offers several practical benefits for people juggling family and parenting demands. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation from home, phone sessions provide an audio-only option when video isn’t possible, and live chat or text messaging can support brief check-ins or between-session checkups. These formats increase scheduling flexibility and make it easier to keep continuity of care while managing busy days.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- ADHD
- Bipolar disorder
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Trauma and abuse
- Experience
- 14 years
- Licensed
- Tennessee
- Languages
- English
Next step
Talk to Kara
- Takes a few minutes
- Nothing to set up just to look
- Stop at any point