about Karen

Karen Pickett is a licensed psychotherapist in California (LMFT40735) and Ohio (F.1700012) and the co-founder of The BFPA Resource Center. She is an expert in the treatment of anxiety disorders and body-focused process addictions (BFPAs), including Panic Disorder, Health Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Agoraphobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Skin Picking Disorder and Trichotillomania. Previously, Karen was the Clinical Director of the OCD Center of Los Angeles and Faculty in Counseling Psychology at the University of Santa Monica. 

Karen was a featured psychotherapist on A&E's acclaimed TV series Obsessed. She has also appeared on CBS's The Doctors, Dateline NBC, and The Discovery Health Channel, as well as in numerous print, web and magazine articles. Karen is a professional member of the IOCDF and a former member of the TLC Foundation for BFRB's Board of Directors.

Karen has co-produced three performances of This Is My Brave, a live show dedicated to ending the stigma surrounding mental illness: at the Moss Theater in Santa Monica, CA on January 22, 2017, at the Lincoln Theater in Columbus, OH on November 3, 2019, and at The Broad Stage in Los Angeles on September 25, 2022. 

Depression, fear, and anxiety are some of the most common and uncomfortable emotions that we can experience in our lives. Through counseling and treatment, Karen is able to help you recover the motivation, perspective, and joy that you once had in your life or find it for the first time.

OCD is an often misunderstood and incorrectly treated condition. Karen is an expert in treating all types of OCD using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

One in every thirty people suffer from a BFPA yet many do so in shame and isolation. Karen is uniquely experienced to help those with BFRBs learn effective tools and skills to overcome their BFPA.

Many individuals experience symptoms associated with painful and traumatic circumstances. Anxiety, fear, and hopelessness are a few emotions that can linger post traumatic events. Karen can help you overcome these symptoms and guide you through the process of grief and healing.

If you are doing something to avoid pain, then pain is running your life. It doesn't have to be this way. 

Teletherapy sessions conducted via a secure and encrypted platform allow you to receive therapy services from the privacy of your your own home or office.