Karla Lewis , LPC

Karla Lewis is a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than 10 years of experience working as a therapist, advocate, and educator in Virginia. She holds professional credentials as an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor - and NCC - National Certified Counselor - which reflect her clinical training and commitment to standards of practice. Over the course of her career she has supported people facing depression, anxiety, relationship conflict, parenting challenges, life transitions, trauma, and ADHD, drawing on experience from settings that include Assertive Community Treatment, emergency services, inpatient psychiatric care, hospitals, and correctional facilities. She has also worked with law enforcement to improve responses to individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Karla's counseling style is warm, genuine, and interactive. She emphasizes respect, dignity, and compassion while helping clients identify strengths and small steps forward. Her clinical toolkit has included cognitive behavioral therapy, rational emotive behavior techniques, solution-focused strategies, and reality counseling, and she adapts conversations and treatment plans to the specific needs of each person. She approaches change as a collaborative process and frames seeking help as a courageous step toward a more fulfilling life. She uses she/her pronouns and offers support aimed at empowering clients to meet their goals.

Approaches that guide online care

Karla draws on several evidence-informed approaches to support people in online sessions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thought and behavior patterns and developing practical skills to manage symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and stress. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes an empathetic, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship in which the therapist listens closely and helps clients explore their values and choices to enhance self-understanding and personal growth. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then commit to meaningful actions aligned with their values.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Karla works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adjusts strategies over time as progress and priorities evolve.

Online therapy offers flexibility for different schedules and lifestyles. Video calls allow for face-to-face interaction, phone sessions provide an audio-only option, and live chat or text-based messaging can support shorter check-ins or ongoing reflection between sessions. These formats make it easier to access licensed professionals and continue consistent care even when in-person meetings are difficult.