About Karen Samuda
Clientele seen
Teenagers (13-17)
Seniors (65+)
Families
Young adults (18-24)
Individuals
Groups
Adults (25-64)
Couples
Identity
Gender
FemaleEthnicity
Black or African American
Languages spoken
English
Getting to know Karen Samuda
You are the person everyone relies on. You handle things. From the outside it looks like you have it together — and privately, you are exhausted, overthinking every decision, and not sure when you last asked yourself what you needed.
I work with adults who are tired of running on anxiety, perfectionism, and other people's expectations. Many of my clients have spent years saying yes when they meant no, holding themselves to standards they'd never apply to anyone else, and quietly wondering why success doesn't feel like relief. Some come to me in the middle of something specific — a career change, a divorce, a loss, a relationship that isn't working. Others just feel stuck and can't name why.
My approach is warm, practical, and collaborative. I draw on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), mindfulness, and a strengths-based framework to help you recognize the thought patterns driving the exhaustion, question the beliefs underneath them, and build genuinely different responses to the situations that used to flatten you. You will leave sessions with skills you can use, not just insight.
Together we work on setting boundaries without guilt, quieting the mental noise, rebuilding confidence in your own judgment, and reconnecting with what you actually want. I see adults navigating anxiety, depression, stress and burnout, grief and loss, trauma, self-esteem struggles, relationship difficulties, and major life transitions.
Therapy works best when you feel safe enough to be honest. My job is to make the room feel that way — no judgment, no pressure to perform, just steady support while you do the work.
What should a new client know about working with you?
If you have never done this before, or it has been a long time, here is what actually happens.
Before your first session. Book a Psychotherapy Intake through Zocdoc. You will get intake paperwork and a consent form to complete beforehand — it takes about fifteen minutes and covers your history, what brings you in, and your goals. Filling it out early means we spend our first session talking instead of doing administrative work.
Your first session. The intake runs about 50 minutes. I will ask about what is going on now, what you have already tried, and what a better version of your week would look like. You do not need to have your story organized or know what your "real" problem is. Most people start with "I don't know where to begin," and that is a fine place to begin. Nothing is required of you that you are not ready to share.
After that. We will agree on a focus and a rough plan. Most clients meet weekly at first, then move to every other week as things stabilize. Some people come for eight to twelve sessions around a specific issue; others stay longer. We will check in on progress regularly, and you are always free to tell me something is not working.
Practical details. Sessions are held by video through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform. You will need a private space and a reliable connection — many clients take sessions from a parked car or a closed office, and that works fine. Please give 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule. I respond to messages within one business day; I am not a crisis service, and if you are in immediate danger, call or text 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.
How to know if I am the right fit. The relationship matters more than the method. If after a session or two it does not feel right, say so — I will help you find someone who is a better match. That is not a failure, and it will not offend me.
What is your typical process for working with clients?
Therapy is not one-size-fits-all, but most clients move through a similar arc.
Weeks 1–3: Getting oriented. We build the full picture — your history, what is maintaining the anxiety or the pattern you came in for, and what you have already tried. I will start teaching you a few concrete tools right away (a grounding technique, a way to catch a spiraling thought) so you leave with something useful even in this early stage, not just insight.
Weeks 4–10: Doing the work. This is where CBT and CPT do most of their work. We identify the specific thoughts and beliefs driving the overthinking, the guilt around boundaries, or the perfectionism, and test them against evidence rather than assuming they are true. This stage can feel harder before it feels better — you are noticing patterns you used to run on autopilot, and that noticing is uncomfortable at first. It is also usually where clients start reporting real shifts: setting a boundary that used to feel impossible, catching a thought loop before it spirals, saying no without the three days of guilt afterward.
Ongoing: Practicing and reinforcing. Once the tools are working, sessions shift from teaching to reinforcing — walking through how you applied something during the week, troubleshooting where it broke down, adjusting for a new situation (a harder conversation, a bigger transition). Many clients move from weekly to biweekly here as confidence builds.
Later: Tapering and maintaining. As things stabilize, we space sessions further apart and talk openly about what "done for now" looks like. Some clients wrap up after a focused period; others prefer to keep a monthly check-in as a tune-up. There is no fixed endpoint — we decide together based on how you are doing, not a preset number of sessions.
Throughout, I will ask directly how you feel things are going, and I would rather hear "this isn't quite working" early than have you quietly disengage. Progress in therapy is rarely a straight line, and a harder week does
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In-network insurances
Aetna
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Education and background
Practice names
Education and training
- Temple University, Master's in Clinical Social Work
NPI number
1447139845
How soon can I make an appointment with Karen Samuda?
Generally, Karen Samuda has appointments available on Zocdoc within 1 week. You can see Karen Samuda's earliest availability on Zocdoc and make an appointment online.
Is Karen Samuda accepting new patients?
Karen Samuda generally accepts new patients on Zocdoc. You can see Karen Samuda's earliest availability on Zocdoc and schedule an appointment online.
Does Karen Samuda accept my insurance?
Choose your insurance plan to verify if Karen Samuda is in-network.
Can I make an appointment with Karen Samuda online?
Yes, you can make an appointment online with Karen Samuda using Zocdoc. It’s simple, secure, and free.
What practice does Karen Samuda work with?
Karen Samuda works with Locascio Wellness.
What are common reasons for patients to see Karen Samuda?
Karen Samuda frequently sees patients for New Patient Visit, Pain Management Consultation, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy Intake / Initial Visit, and Sleep Problems. You can see other visit reasons for Karen Samuda on their profile.
What languages does Karen Samuda speak?
Karen Samuda speaks English.