Karen Jurls, LICSW

Karen Jurls is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) practicing in Alabama with 35 years of experience in mental health and public health. She brings a calm, practical approach to helping people navigate anxiety, depression, relationship and family changes, grief, trauma, and challenges with coping and self-confidence. Her work includes support for addictions, parenting concerns, sleep and eating difficulties, and mood conditions such as bipolar disorder and disruptive mood issues.

Throughout her career she has worked closely with adoptive parents and their children and has focused on attachment issues, family of origin concerns, blended family dynamics, and caregiver stress. She helps clients set goals, examine patterns of feeling and behavior, and build skills to manage daily life more effectively. Her practice emphasizes respect for each person’s experience and a collaborative process toward meaningful change.

Karen combines evidence-informed methods with a client-centered attitude, drawing on approaches that suit each individual’s needs. As an LICSW - a license indicating advanced clinical social work training and independent practice - she aims to make progress feel manageable so people can move forward with a new perspective. She welcomes the opportunity to meet and work with those seeking support.

Approach-Focused Care Delivered Online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and then take actions that align with their values. It is useful for stress, anxiety, and situations where shifting perspective and committed action can improve day-to-day functioning.

Attachment-Based Therapy explores relational patterns that began in early relationships and how those patterns affect current connections. This approach is helpful for couples, adoptive families, and anyone coping with abandonment, attachment issues, or family-of-origin concerns.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and learning practical strategies to change them. It is commonly used for depression, anxiety, sleep and eating difficulties, and coping skill development.

Finding the right approach is part of the work itself. Karen collaborates with each person to determine which methods fit their goals, needs, and preferences, adjusting strategies as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, allowing people to connect with licensed professionals from home or during busy schedules. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care, try different session formats, and integrate therapy into everyday life.