About Me

Clients sometimes ask me how I became a couples therapist. The truth is, I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a therapist.  I became a therapist after working in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors for many years. After having children and taking time to reassess my professional life and goals, I realized  that I was ready for a career change. 

I decided to go back to school to study Counseling Psychology, a field that had always intrigued me. When I graduated and started working in clinical settings, I was immediately drawn to working with couples and families. It turned out that understanding and improving the dynamics and roles of relationships was a great fit for my personality and interests. 

If you’re curious about my educational background: I have a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature and Women's Studies from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. I also have an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, and a Masters in Counseling Psychology from the Wright Institute. 

After graduate school, I completed the Psychotherapy Institute's two-year postgraduate program in relational depth psychotherapy, and have also trained at Berkeley Mental Health, the Bay Area Family Institute of Training, and Jewish Family & Children's Services of the East Bay. .

I continue to participate in ongoing consultation and training, so that I can stay up-to-date on the latest research around couples therapy, and use the most effective methods with my clients..

I’m also experienced working with clients who identify as neurodiverse, introverted, and highly sensitive. 

My additional advanced training and certification in the Gottman method of couples therapy allows me to offer practical interventions that are based on extensive research about what makes relationships successful. 

My work is informed by theories of social justice, in recognition of the ways in which larger systems can impact individuals’ lives. My approach to therapy is rooted in the principles of relational psychotherapy, attachment theory, neuroscience, and family systems theory. 

I love getting to know the couples I work with, and I feel honored to be trusted with clients' most intimate and vulnerable stories. When couples truly want to roll up their sleeves and work, being a couples therapist is incredibly rewarding. 

If you get the sense we’d be a good fit to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out using the button below.

Here are some kind words from couples who have worked with me:

I highly recommend Karen.  She is experienced working with couples around all sorts of issues, and is warm, grounded and practical. She is smart and insightful, and her clarity helped us sort through some very thorny issues when we went through a difficult period with our marriage.

Karen worked with me and my husband around our long-term relationship issues including communication patterns, parenting challenges, and helping us to figure out what kind of relationship we envision for our future. Karen is direct and down to earth.

My husband and I have worked with Karen through some tough issues around conflict and communication. She is warm and engaging, and had some really good insights into our patterns of behavior. She sometimes challenged my husband to think differently about his role in our relationship, and the ways society expects men and women to behave. She challenged me to see my own patterns as well, and we both felt really understood by her.

I recommend Karen Levine, MFT for couples counseling. She has a gentle and warm style. She is also practical, and offers insight as well as strategies you can actually use to make things better.

Clients’ names are not included to maintain confidentiality.