Kari Wolsky, LMFT, Licensed Psychotherapist
Individual Counseling
Kari specializes in the treatment of OCD and anxiety related conditions including all themes of OCD (ROCD, SO- OCD, POCD, Scrupulosity, Harm OCD, Contamination, Symmetry or Just Right, Sensorimotor etc) as well as panic, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, phobias, BFRBs and TICs. She works with children, adolescents and adults and has experience working with complex cases and clients with multiple co-occuring conditions.
Proven Treatment Methods
Kari has been trained in and uses Gold Standard evidence based treatment approaches including ERP (Exposure Response Prevention) to address OCD and anxiety related conditions and HRT (Habit Reversal Training) to address BFRBs and Tics. She has received extensive training in both ERP and HRT as well as specialized training in treating children (pediatric OCD) and in using BA (Behavior Activation) to treat depression. She provides treatment through a trauma informed lens and is also trained in EMDR and TIR (Trauma Incident Reduction). She compliments these core techniques by teaching skills from ACT, DBT and Mindfulness.
Family Counseling
Working with families is an important part of addressing OCD and anxiety related disorders and Kari has been specially trained to work with families and loved ones to improve treatment outcomes. Addressing accommodations that can be feeding the OCD and anxiety, such as with reassurance seeking, is an important part of the treatment process. Kari can work with the support system to create an accommodation reduction plan to ensure the OCD is addressed from all angles. At the same time she provides support to the family system that can often be out of balance and stressed due to these issues.
Child & Adolescent Counseling
Working with children, adolescents and teens requires specialized training and Kari has received training and has extensive experience working with this population. Her approach is tailored to the audience and she uses age appropriate tools to meet the client where they are at regardless of their age. Through lived experience as a child with OCD since the age of 10, she can empathize and encourage while sharing helpful insight.
Personal Experience
From her own lived experience with OCD and anxiety, Kari knows that healing is possible and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. She can teach you tools and skills so that you are no longer stuck in your OCD or anxiety, can live more fully and get back in the drivers seat of your life.
Treatment Approach
As an OCD and anxiety therapist, Kari is warm, authentic, encouraging and empowering and can teach you the skills to free you from your OCD and anxiety. She creates a nurturing, judgment free space that honors each client's individual situation and needs and is also transparent and happy to share her lived experience when it is helpful.
While working together you will collaboratively build a treatment plan and will learn to challenge the part of your brain that is hijacking you. Together you will retrain your brain to tolerate uncertainty and discomfort so you can stop allowing OCD and anxiety to place false limitations on you.
You have done the hardest part by seeking help and can rest assured treatment is not as scarey as it seems. Kari would be honored to be a part of your healing journey and help you reach the point of living the life you are meant to in maintenance and recovery.