
KAREN LACY
LCSW
As a mental health therapist for over 22 years, I have worked with all ages and all kinds of emotional challenges. I have found my work as a therapist to be very rewarding. I became a therapist because I wanted to have a career where I could make a personal difference in people’s lives with issues common to many of us. Some of the most common are relationship issues, depression, anxiety, and trauma. For 17 of those years, I have gained valuable experience through my work in community mental health, for private companies and for military members at Hill Air Force Base. During my time at the base, I became trained and experienced in treating trauma with a well-studied and proven technique called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This has been an extremely valuable method for helping clients reduce the disturbance level caused by trauma. I also am very committed to Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) a therapy to help reduce distress, regulate emotions, and improve relationships. I am enjoying learning about Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, a relatively new therapy which can also help clients gain deeper, more lasting changes in their mental health.
TREATMENT APPROACH
In therapy sessions with me, we would first gather a fairly detailed assessment about your life up to this point. The second session is usually about discussing diagnoses so we have a direction to head, and to set goals to work on in therapy. Following that, every week we would use this as a guide through therapy, with do-able homework assignments during sessions to help you progress.
SPECIALTIES
Trauma Work
Depression
Anxiety
AGE OF SPECIALTY
Preteens / Tweens: 11 to 13)
Adolescents /Tweens: 14 to 18
Adults: 19 to 64
Elders: 65+
COMMUNITIES OF SPECIALTY
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TYPES OF THERAPY
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
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Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
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Gottman's Couple Therapy

"Mental strength is not the ability to stay out of the darkness, it’s the ability to sit present in the darkness knowing that the light will shine again”
-Unknown
KNOW YOUR THERAPIST
WHAT DID YOU GET YOUR DEGREE(S) IN AND WHERE FROM?
I grew up in Utah, Illinois, and California. I attended BYU for several years and graduated with my Bachelor’s in Social Work from USU and my Master’s in Social Work from the University of Utah. My husband and I live in Providence, Utah. We have been married for many years and have six children and eleven grandchildren. I enjoy spending time with family, playing piano. , reading, gardening, camping, bicycling, seeing new places, and being outdoors.
SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL HISTORY
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WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BECOME A THERAPIST?
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WHATS YOUR THERAPEUTIC APPROACH?
In therapy sessions with me, we would first gather a fairly detailed assessment about your life up to this point. The second session is usually about discussing diagnoses so we have a direction to head, and to set goals to work on in therapy. Following that, every week we would use this as a guide through therapy, with do-able homework assignments during sessions to help you progress.
WHAT KIND OF HOMEWORK OR ASSIGNMENTS DO YOU GIVE CLIENTS?
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HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR MY FIRST SESSION WITH YOU?
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