Karen Kallis
M.Ed., LPC, NCC, RPT
Karen Kallis is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Registered Play Therapist, and a Certified Positive Discipline educator for parents and teachers. She has acquired advanced skills in play therapy to hold the Registered Play Therapist credential. She specializes in treating anxiety in children, teens, young adults and parenting. Additionally, she treats depression, grief/loss, trauma and social and academic challenges.
She provides compassionate support and guides clients to create tools for positive growth. She believes strongly in empowering people through encouragement and mindfulness strategies to understand how thoughts create feelings and direct behaviors. Her experiential and evidenced based therapy approach teaches concrete skills to face challenges with courage. She works closely with parents teaching effective strategies and providing resources that are practical and logical.
She has extensive counseling experience in private practice and schools with diverse needs. She has led numerous parenting workshops and growth groups for children, teenagers and parents. Additionally, she has consulted with schools on children’s developmental needs and creative ways to approach relationships using Positive Discipline methods.
Karen provides services in the following areas:
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Play Therapy allows children to use their most natural language. It allows children to process life events and express their emotions in a way that is developmentally appropriate. They learn new skills to respond to their challenges with resilience and courage. The room houses a range of toys and art supplies to develop a warm relationship to promote healing and positive change. Children often learn appropriate emotional expression and regulation by acquiring skills to promote self control.
Karen has received several years of advanced training and supervision to receive the credential of Registered Play Therapist and specializes in applying it to anxiety using Adlerian and cognitive behavioral strategies. -
Karen connects with older adolescents through talk and art therapy. She provides a safe and relaxing space for them to explore their emerging selves. As they meet new roles in often intense social and learning environments, she embraces a relationship through connection and trust. She encourages them to discover their strengths and to feel capable in their lives. Individual therapy helps teens and young adults to understand and connect with themselves as they learn new ways of thinking and behaving.
The relationship provides a supportive environment to identify patterns, gain insight, and develop coping strategies. Compassionate support and guidance can facilitate a healing journey to reclaim control over their lives. -
An important part of the helping process is working with parents to create a healthy family system. She welcomes the opportunity to provide alternative ways of understanding and approaching the parent-child relationship to create more joyful interactions. She teaches parenting skills that are kind and firm to promote a consistent and loving home environment. Her goal is for each member of a family to discover a sense of belonging, purpose and significance. She is an active mom of three daughters and fully understands the reality behind parenting ideals. Transitions are seen as opportunities for growth and to rediscover joy.
Karen provides parent consultation using Positive Discipline and SPACE approaches to working with families.
Positive Discipline is a program developed by Dr. Jane Nelsen and teaches parents how to build important social and life skills in a manner that is deeply respectful and encouraging for both children and adults.
SPACE stands for Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions and is a parent-based treatment program for children and adolescents with anxiety, OCD.
SPACE was developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center. Parents who participate in SPACE will learn skills and tools to help their child overcome anxiety, OCD or related problems.
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Family members are an integral part of therapy when working with children and teens. Collaboration involves problem solving and mutual goal setting from the different perspectives of family members. In addition, working with parents involves education about the developmental needs of children and how to support the tools and coping skills their child is learning to deal with anxiety, manage emotions, and navigate social relationships. By working together with families, the whole family dynamic improves and is mutually beneficial for the child and the parents.
Karen values the strength and resilience in each of us.
B.A. in Psychology from Sweet Briar College
M.Ed. in Counseling from Georgia State University Licensed Professional Counselor #009443 in Georgia
National Certified Counselor
Registered Play Therapist
Certified Positive Discipline Educator for Teachers and Parents
Advanced training in play therapy and Filial therapy
Training to deliver SPACE to parents of children with anxiety and OCD disorders
Advanced training in treating anxiety in children/adolescents and parenting anxious children.
Training received in ERP (exposure/response prevention) for anxiety disorders and OCD
Has facilitated numerous workshops on parenting the anxious child, parenting with positive discipline strategies, and training therapists on play therapy techniques
She is grateful for all opportunities to help others reclaim meaning in their lives. She uses a combination of Adlerian, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Response Prevention techniques and mindfulness approaches to promote healing and skill building.
Every relationship is contained in gratitude.
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