Karen Umminger, LCSW
Certified Hakomi Therapist
ABOUT ME
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Austin, Texas. I have a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin and have been practicing psychotherapy and counseling since 1993. I completed a three year training and supervision in the Hakomi Method of Body-Centered Psychotherapy and became a Certified Hakomi Therapist in 1996. Hakomi uses mindfulness and involves the body, mind, spirit and emotion to gently bring your attention within and to focus on the present moment experience. Hakomi is helpful in shifting long held core beliefs that may prevent you from experiencing life as fully and happily as you desire.
I work with adults in individual psychotherapy or couples in marital or couples counseling. I have worked with a diverse group of individuals from many racial, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.
MY APPROACH
My approach is based on the experience that growth develops when we better understand ourselves and when we learn to make choices and take actions that lead to more freedom and lasting positive change. Based on your goals, I take an interactive role in helping to develop both insight and new behaviors.
I actively listen to your concerns, with sensitivity, without judgment. I bring an open and accepting presence to our collaborative work, honoring each person as a unique individual. If you decide to come to my office, you will find a safe and comfortable space for exploring and discovering.
I encourage clients to experiment with new behaviors and attitudes; this encouragement sometimes includes homework between sessions. Your feedback is a welcome and vitally important part of our work together.
Depending on your goals and the nature of your difficulties, we will decide together whether a brief therapy approach is best or whether a more open-ended one would be appropriate. Brief therapy, which usually lasts six months to a year, works best when you feel relatively stable in your life and want to focus on one or two specific areas. Open-ended therapy allows for a broader focus and a deeper level of exploration with ample time for many themes to emerge.