ABOUT KAREN COLLINS, MSW, LCSW:
I am a psychotherapist in private practice in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. I am originally from Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University. I have worked at inpatient adult and adolescent psychiatric hospitals in Ohio for 8 years along with managing my private therapy practice. In 2012, I said good-bye to the cold weather and moved to Jupiter, FL where I began working at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center for 10 years. My career at the WPB VA Medical Center offered me the opportunity to work with Veterans in the following capacities over that 10 year period; as a Mental Health Therapist, Program Manager of Post Deployment Clinic and the Care Giver Support Program, Supervisor of Homeless Programs and Supervisor over programs serving Veterans with serious mental health conditions. In addition to working at the WPB VA Medical Center, I worked in private practice in Jupiter, FL. In March of 2022, I left the WPB VA Medical Center in February to focus completely on my private practice which moved with me from Jupiter to Palm Beach Gardens, FL. I am also working on publishing a Couples Journaling Series to strengthen relationships and additional situation specific healing journals for life events such as healing post affair, moving forward after the end of a relationship, healing after death of a partner; to name a few. I have published two books, one on relationships and another on managing depression. I have published multiple articles on relationships, depression, improving well-being, thriving during and after a serious health issue and reducing acute stress response. I have a YouTube Channel, “Therapy with Karen Collins” where I post peaceful places, guided meditations, provoking ideas to consider, a segment on managing acute stress response and improving overall well-being to teach how to prevent over responding to stressors and how to use mind body connection to heal from chronic illness and terminal diseases. I have provided therapy virtually for over 10 years (long before it was trending as a popular method) and I am a MDLIVE provider joining that company in the beginning of their virtual platform launch. The past few years have proven that virtual therapy is an effective method of providing therapy removing additional barriers to accessing needed services.
My professional training includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Collaborative Couples Therapy and Gottman Method Couples Therapy. I have been extensively trained through Level III of Gottman Method Couples Therapy. I am a "Gottman Leader" of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work Couples Program.
My Life Philosophy
“What Happens To You, Happens For You, Trust Your Journey”. Everything is unraveling just as it should be, if you trust that the wonderful and the most difficult experiences are happening just as they should, it is easier to not regret the past or fear the future. Trust that whatever is ahead is intentional just for you. That doesn’t mean that you should be a passive bystander in your life, of course, you are making decisions all along the way that get you to the next place to make the next decision of what you do or don’t want, where you want to go to school, what you want to study, where you want to live, who you spend time with, where you work, etc., this all sets you up for the things that are not within your control to happen and flow into your life. In each experience, if you look for the takeaways, the experience gained, the growth and all else that you gained, you can be more at peace, less anxious and have optimal well-being. Even if the only take away is that you are still standing after a very difficult situation, that is a huge accomplishment. It means that even if you had no idea how you were going to navigate the issue, you figured it out and managed that difficult time. At some point, after navigating multiple difficult times, you may even feel like there is nothing that you would not be able to handle based on the fact that you have a proven track record of handling tough stuff. How empowering is that?
My Relationship Philosophy
Relationships begin and end when they are supposed to. It is likely that none of us get into a committed relationship hoping that it will not last, but the reality is that it may not last forever. If you trust that people come and go in your life as they are supposed to, you are better able to focus on the growth from the relationship experience and leave one another even better than you found each other. If a partner decides to move forward without you, it simply means that he or she has figured out before you did that it is not a lifetime fit. As you gain relationship experience, you may look back and think differently about a relationship, maybe even see “red flags” that you didn’t recognize or ignored during that time. But that’s okay, it is all part of your beautiful story. Try not to judge yourself for past partner choices that you can now see in a different light and may no longer choose as a partner. Each relationship you are in has a purpose for you, it is up to you to find that purpose for yourself and grow from it. If you are married, having the mentality that you are in this together, no matter what you are going through, it is about how you as a couple are going to navigate it, nobody is thinking about leaving (unless there is abuse involved), having one another’s back and working as a team no matter how difficult life gets. Your relationship is your love story, you can write it to be exactly how you want it to be.
Please feel free to call, text, or
email me directly with questions or an appointment request.
Inspirational Quotes That I Love:
"If your goal is to be as close to your partner as possible, everything that you do and say needs to be with that goal in mind."
“Every interaction with your partner is an opportunity to become even closer.”
“Just because you think something, does not mean you need to say it.”
“Run what you are about to say through this filter-Is what I am about to say going to make my partner feel closer or more distant to me?”
"What happens to you, happens for you. Everything in your life is unravelling exactly how it is supposed to. Trust your journey. Trust your life process"
“You have control over your reaction to everything that happens to you. Your reaction can make it better or worse.”
“Sometimes what you think that you want isn’t what is intended or even best for you. Though you can’t see it at the time, clarity will come to you and one day, you will realize why it worked out the way that it did.”