Karen Porter , MD, LCPC, LMHC

Karen Porter is a licensed clinician with 35 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, anger, low self-esteem, and depression. She holds an MD and is licensed as an LCPC and LMHC in Maryland. Karen speaks plainly and focuses on practical steps people can use each day to feel steadier and more confident.

Her approach centers on working together to set realistic goals and try small changes that add up. Sessions often include straightforward problem-solving, skills to calm anxious moments, and exercises to build self-worth. She encourages people to try tools between sessions so progress carries into daily life.

Karen also helps with life transitions such as divorce and midlife changes, and with concerns tied to body image, guilt and shame, and isolation. She supports clients exploring purpose, forgiveness, and self-love while addressing social anxiety and impulsivity when these get in the way of daily functioning.

People can expect a collaborative, encouraging tone that focuses on what they want to change and how to get there. She emphasizes small, manageable steps rather than quick fixes. The work is paced to match each person’s needs and readiness.

Karen practices from Maryland and provides services in English. She offers a mix of session formats to fit different schedules and preferences, aiming to make therapy practical and workable for busy lives.

Evidence-based approaches and flexible online care

Karen uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical skills and behavior change. One approach centers on teaching coping skills for stress and anxiety, such as breathing and grounding methods, activity planning, and step-by-step exposure to social fears to reduce avoidance and increase confidence. Another common focus is on building self-esteem and motivation through goal setting, behavioral experiments, and exercises that shift unhelpful self-talk toward kinder, more realistic thinking.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals and preferences, then suggest techniques to try together. This makes the plan collaborative and adaptable as needs change over time.

Online therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to make care easier to fit into a busy life. Video allows fuller face-to-face conversation, phone calls can be a good option when bandwidth is limited, live chat and messaging let people check in between appointments or use shorter touchpoints, and scheduling across formats can help keep momentum during life transitions. These options aim to make it simpler to get consistent support from licensed professionals.