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KK Portrait of Dr. Karen Katunich
Online therapist

Dr. Karen Katunich

Experienced psychologist for mood and life changes

Credentials
PA Psychologist PS006207L
Experience
40 years
Licensed in
Pennsylvania
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Karen

Dr. Karen Katunich is a Pennsylvania psychologist who focuses on practical help for people dealing with mood, stress, and life changes. She speaks plainly and listens first, aiming to make therapy understandable and useful for everyday problems.

Her approach is steady and respectful, and she draws on decades of clinical work to guide conversations toward workable steps. Karen earned her doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University and completed her internship with the Pittsburgh Consortium-Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Background and approach

She has worked in group independent practice and served as a Senior Clinician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Mood Disorders Clinic. She also directed resident psychotherapy training at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. Before her civilian career, she served as an Air Force Officer and began teaching at the U.S.

Air Force Academy. She later taught at local colleges and universities at both undergraduate and graduate levels. These roles shaped her calm, clear teaching style in sessions.

Her clinical base is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and she also uses client-centered methods, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing as needed. In practice she focuses on finding concrete tools that reduce distress and improve day-to-day functioning.

With 40 years of experience as a PA Psychologist PS006207L, Karen aims to help people build skills, name patterns, and try small changes that add up. She offers care that respects each person’s story and looks for practical ways forward.

Therapeutic approaches and what online work looks like

Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding the person's experience without judgment and helping them feel heard; it is useful when someone needs a steady, empathetic space to sort through emotions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions link together and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns, making it useful for anxiety, depression, and mood concerns.

Choosing the right approach is a team effort. The therapist listens to your goals and preferences, then suggests methods that fit those needs. Over time the plan can change based on what helps most, so the process stays collaborative and flexible.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care easier to fit into busy lives. These options let people work on skills, get feedback, and check in from home or elsewhere. The variety of formats supports different communication styles and scheduling needs, while still allowing a licensed professional to guide progress and adjust techniques as work moves forward.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Concrete skills for riding out strong emotion, tolerating distress, and handling relationships without things escalating. The skills are practised in daily life, so between-session support by message or phone fits naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self esteem, bipolar disorder, depression, addictions, relationship and family struggles, anger, and coping with life changes. Additional focuses include BDSM and kink topics, dependent personality, veteran and armed forces issues, mood and personality disorders, post-traumatic stress, and seasonal affective disorder.
What is her general therapy style?
Sessions emphasize being heard and treated with respect while learning practical skills. Her style blends client-centered care with CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing to match each person's needs.
How long has she practiced?
She brings 40 years of experience in a range of clinical and teaching roles, including work at mood disorder clinics and in independent practice.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is licensed as a PA Psychologist with license number PS006207L and is located in Pennsylvania.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What formats are offered for sessions?
Therapy is available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How do fees and starting therapy work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, fill out a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Also works with

Experience
40 years
Licensed
Pennsylvania
Languages
English

Next step

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