Gill Counseling

Call (804) 343-9786 to make an appointment today.

Compassionate Grief, Trauma, & Pregnancy Loss Counseling

About Karen

Message from Karen

I have always believed that the best gift we have to offer the world is our best Self, and we can only offer this when we honor our needs, boundaries, internal systems, and connections with others in our

lives.

I believe in the concepts of continued learning, searching, and discovery. These personal values inform my work and my lifestyle.

In my work I have found that the more compassion we can feel for ourselves, the more open we are to the love of others. I absolutely believe that health, fullness, and growth are always possible.

I operate from a framework informed by Internal Family Systems (IFS) and am Level III trained in this modality.

I also believe that our relationship with our environment and the natural world is inextricably linked to how we experience ourselves and I hold a Certification in Ecopsychology.

I have training in EMDR, cognitive behavioral techniques, and Compassionate Bereavement Care.

I feel very comfortable working with individual who have felt so overwhelmed by sadness, pain and loss that they considered suicide. I have participated in trainings related to suicide prevention, intervention, and grief related to suicide losses, including training as an ASIST suicide prevention provider and trainer.

My work with individuals and groups after loss allows me to explore with clients the pitfalls, bridges, and ultimately the possible healing pathways. There is no ‘forgetting’ or going forward along the same course after a loss. The challenge is finding a course that incorporates loss, lessons, and love in ways that offer growth, compassion, and healing.

Further, I am convinced that some of the most important influences on our lives and behaviors are those we may not be fully conscious of. Bringing patterns, beliefs and awareness of our protective and wounded parts into conscious connection is powerful work that is co-created by the client and the therapist.

Clinical Experience

Employment Experience

Hospice and funeral home care, nursing home care, and university counseling center

Education

Master of Social Work degree, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1995

Certifications & Licenses

Licensed Clinical Social Work, Commonwealth of Virginia, 2000
Certification in Thanatology: The Study of Death, Dying and Bereavement, 2010
Certified LCSW supervisor since 2010

Community Service

Founding member of Bereavement Coalition of Central Virginia
Crater Caregiver Coalition
Virginia Caregiver Coalition

Awards

Field Instructor Award, VCU School of Social Work, 2006
Distinguished Community Partner in Healing Aware, Presented by the Department of Pastoral Care of VCU Health Systems, 2009

Publications

Columns published in the Progress Index and Colonial Voice, 2004-2006
A chapter in Conversations in Palliative Care, 3rd Ed., 2011