Karmen Gardner is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School (Dallas campus).  Having joined Therapy Dallas for her practicum training, she works with children, adolescents, and their families under the supervision of Kristen Ohlenforst, PhD.

Karmen provides individual psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults; parent consultation for parents of children ages 4-18; and group-based support for parents of children with ADHD, anxiety, and/or OCD.  Her primary clinical interests include evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents struggling with anxiety, emotional regulation, behavioral concerns, adjustment difficulties, self-esteem, and school- and relationship-related stress.  Her clinical approach draws from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) , culturally responsive interventions, and developmentally-appropriate practices.  

Expanding on her prior career as a K-12 teacher, Karmen believes that behavior rarely tells the whole story.  Having worked extensively with children with emotional and/or behavioral difficulties and learning differences, Karmen utilizes a warm, collaborative, and developmentally-informed approach to garner insight and facilitate growth.  She considers each child’s strengths, relationships, environment, culture, and lived experiences, and collaborates with caregivers, educators, and multidisciplinary providers to impart meaningful change.  

Karmen is the creator and developer of the Fundamental Accurate Inclusive Recognition (F.A.I.R.) Framework™, a developing child-centered framework focused on culturally valid and contextually informed assessment of Black children. In this work and throughout her training, she draws on her experience working with children and families across behavioral health, clinical, and educational settings.