A Little About Us
Karen Williams, LPC
Owner & Primary Therapist
Professional Background & Expertise
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), independently licensed by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners, with over 10 years of clinical experience. My private practice is located in North Phoenix. I specialize in Family Systems Theory, treating codependency, and working with all forms of addiction, including process (behavioral) addiction. I am fully trained in EMDR Therapy and Accelerated Resolution Therapy, offering a wide range of evidence-based clinical interventions. I also provide clinical supervision and mentorship to fellow professionals.
Personal Journey & Approach to Therapy
My own healing journey began when I got sober in 2005. With the grace of God, the fellowship of AA and the twelve-step recovery process my life changed dramatically for the better. Maintaining my sobriety brought me slowly but surely into other areas of healing. I owe my emotional sanity to the Adult Child Community, fellow travelers and my therapist, who showed me how to love and care for my precious inner child. Honorable mention also goes to The Rachel’s Vineyard Community, The Cursillo Movement, the Silent No More Heroes and Grief to Grace. These “lanterns of love” have shown me a path forward in my life that I never knew was possible.
Education, Service & Community Involvement
I earned my master’s degree in professional counseling from Grand Canyon University (2014) and my undergraduate degree from Michigan State University (1988). I am a licensee in good standing with the Arizona Board of Health Examiners and a member of the NCE, the NBCC, and CatholicTherapists.com.
Beyond private practice, I am dedicated to service and outreach. In 2007, I founded Mantle of Hope, a wellness group for those seeking healing after the loss of a child due to abortion or miscarriage. I have served as a counselor for Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats and Grief to Grace and hold a board position with Restore Dignity, a nonprofit supporting survivors of abuse and neglect.
Personal Life & Faith
I grew up in Riverview, Michigan, and am the youngest of three siblings. I now cherish time with my family. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, hiking, running, reading, writing, attending Mass and Adoration, and volunteering with the Legion of Mary.
My forever goal is to glorify God and to honor the path that He has laid before me. My continual desire is to remain in hope and gratitude towards His promises and to maintain a hearty commitment to those who God sends to me; to make a return in gratitude to God for what has been so graciously given me. My divine appointment is to be a lantern for others and to show others how they can be a lantern too.
Marissa Peace
Marissa received her Masters in Counseling from Franciscan University of Steubenville, a CACREP accredited program. She is a Licensed Associated Counselor of two years, under the supervision of Karen Williams, LPC.
Before pursing her degree in Counseling, Marissa engaged in facets of the mental health field through her years in education, with multiple grade levels. She has since enjoyed working with adults in intensive outpatient treatment, children from families impacted by addiction, along with undergraduate students. Her background in these settings contributed to her desire to enter the ministry of healing through counseling work.
As a counselor, Marissa’s approach centers on compassion, authenticity, and respect for the inherent dignity of each person. She intentionally places her focus on listening to each person's story with empathy and acceptance. Marissa desires to meet each person in the present and to affirm their intrinsic goodness. She aspires to challenge her clients with hope, believing in their capacity to embrace newfound freedom and purpose. Marissa appreciates that the process of counseling involves vulnerability and trust on the part of each person. She regards involved commitment and teamwork to be of the upmost importance.
Marissa is trained in Thomistic Psychology and her Catholic belief shapes her grasp of the human person. The conviction that no form of suffering lies beyond the redemption of Christ, underlies her counseling philosophy.
Marissa specializes in working with adolescents, teens, and adults of all ages, along with life transitions, scrupulosity or obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, depression, trauma, and the impact of ill family dynamics.
She prioritizes the use of Accelerate Resolution Therapy, alongside a tailored blend, of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavioral
Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Narrative Therapy to aid clients. Apart from work, Marissa takes pleasure in spending time with her husband, family, friends, and exploring the beauty of the Arizona desert.
Gloria Deo Therapist
FAQ
How do I schedule an appointment?
Fees and Payment:
Fees are determined by length of sessions and payment is due at the time of service. All session fees are discussed during your phone consultation and communicated prior to any scheduled appointments.
I accept cash or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or FSA/HSA cards).
Insurance:
I accept Solidarity Healthshare solidarityhealthshare.org.
I do not take insurance but encourage you to reach out to your insurance provider to see if they offer full or partial reimbursement for benefits outside-of-network. If so, I am happy to provide you with a superbill to submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement.
Office Policies:
I require a 24-hour changed or cancellation notification. Notifications outside of that window result in a full-session charge, except in the case of emergencies.
We are not able to complete paperwork related to ESA or FMLA, but are happy to make referrals for your needs.
