“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.”
~Frida Kahlo
My Approach
My approach to therapy involves a collaborative approach in which you are in charge of your own autonomy. Together we can explore the thoughts you hold and create a self-compassionate relationship within yourself. We can explore the challenges you face, empowering your strengths, values, and beliefs that make you who you are throughout your life. Clients will discover the empowerment that they feel within their own personal growth and make decisions based on the circumstances in which they desire to have. My therapeutic approach is based around empowerment and centers around an individual’s wants, values, and needs.
About Karmen Frehner
My name is Karmen (she/her) and my social work career started with volunteer work at the LGBTQ+ Utah Pride Center working with LGBTQ+ individuals on their own personal journey. I worked with LGBTQ+ adolescents within a residential facility and conducted LGBTQ+ group therapy centered around substance use disorders. I attended the University of Utah for my Bachelors of Social Work and my Substance Use Disorders Certificate. I worked at two different non-profits as a Substance Use Disorder Counselor providing LGBTQ+ trauma-informed therapy for individuals with Substance Use Disorders. I have provided individual therapy for both adolescents and adults and family therapy. I am now a Masters of Social Work at The University of Utah specializing in Substance Use Disorders, Trauma-Informed Care, and LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy.
In my free time I am passionate about holistic health and wellness through meditation and yoga practices. I enjoy humor and love to explore new cities frequently. My motto is, “live a life you no longer want to escape from” and daily I practice attempting to do freeing and new activities. I have a dog and a cat and within my home love to take care of houseplants and do art projects.