Karen Bradt , LCSW

Karen Bradt is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and a certified trauma professional who combines clinical training with practical strategies to help people move forward. Based in Florida, she holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Central Florida, along with a certificate in Addictions. Her practice supports people facing stress, anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, borderline personality challenges, depression, histories of physical or psychological abuse, self-harm, sexual abuse, and other trauma-related concerns.

Her approach blends traditional talk therapy with clear education about how trauma affects the brain and with hands-on tools and action steps clients can use between sessions. She emphasizes that anxious or protective reactions are not signs of being “crazy” but are understandable brain responses designed to protect the person. Change, in her view, comes from pairing insight with repeated practice of new responses to triggers.

Karen typically begins by learning what the client wants to change, then offers targeted education about diagnoses and brain function before introducing small, achievable experiments. Examples range from brief behavioral steps for agoraphobia to movement and activity suggestions that complement mental health work. She encourages clients to report what does not work so alternative techniques can be tried, and she reminds clients that they are the experts on their own lives.

Outside of clinical work she is an avid hiker, a former activity leader for the Florida Trail, and wilderness first aid certified. During winter months in the mountains she may limit video availability due to frequent power outages - clients may request video if needed. She also notes that sometimes connection requests may disappear before she can respond; this is not a refusal to work together.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships influence current patterns of connection and trust. In accessible terms, it helps clients explore attachment needs and repair ways of relating that cause distress in relationships, which can be useful for intimacy, abandonment, and family of origin concerns.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, teaches practical skills to identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is often used for anxiety, depression, panic, and anger by breaking problems into manageable steps and practicing new responses.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a collaborative, respectful relationship in which the therapist follows the client’s lead and supports their strengths. This approach can help people who need validation, clearer self-understanding, or a nonjudgmental space to explore life changes.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Karen works collaboratively with each person to tailor methods based on their goals, preferences, and responses. She will suggest options, monitor what helps, and adjust plans together.

Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offers flexibility for scheduling and makes it easier to fit therapy into busy lives. These formats allow licensed professionals to provide continuity of care, offer practical homework and tools between sessions, and meet clients where they are geographically and emotionally.