Dr. Rhonda Karg is a scientist-practitioner who specializes in brief, solution-focused treatment of psychological, emotional, and behavioral difficulties among adults and adolescents. Therapy sessions and homework assignments are focused on developing and practicing new and different coping skills to help patients gain knowledge and skills for how to think, feel, and respond in difficult situations, and how to maintain effective relationships. Examples of skills that are developed in therapy include: balancing emotions and logic; practicing self-care (e.g., eating right, getting enough sleep, exercise, meditation); being objective; identifying, describing and allowing yourself to experience emotions; having a non-judgmental stance with yourself or others; focusing on the here and now; being assertive and negotiating; being gentle, courteous, validating, and respectful toward yourself and others; and practicing acceptance.

Dr. Karg is dedicated to providing evidence-based treatment and consultation services. She provides a warm, supportive, and nurturing environment in therapy while encouraging personal responsibility in patients. Dr. Karg deeply respects and is genuinely concerned about the patients she serves, which provides the optimal environment for developing and maintaining a strong therapeutic relationship, which is the number one predictor of positive treatment outcomes. Dr. Karg also thoroughly enjoys her clinical work, and is grateful for the opportunity to participate in the miracles of growth and recovery that occur each day in the lives her patients.

Dr. Karg’s key areas of expertise include the assessment and treatment of substance abuse and other compulsive behaviors (e.g., compulsive gambling, spending, eating, exercising), including relapse prevention. Dr. Karg’s approach to treatment and relapse prevention is to enhance motivation to change problem behaviors, such as alcohol and illicit drug use, poor health habits, and risky sexual practices. She also specializes in providing psychological and behavioral interventions for mood disorders (e.g., depression, bipolar disorders), anxiety disorders (e.g., social anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder), anger/rage, and attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD). Dr. Karg is also adept at helping clients master life transitions (e.g., divorce, bereavement, career changes), adjustment to environmental stressors (e.g., reactions to trauma, interpersonal conflicts, illnesses, academic pressure), and anger management. Her modalities of treatment include individual psychotherapy, couples counseling, family therapy, and group therapy.

Dr. Karg holds a doctorate and master's degree in Clinical Psychology (with minors in substance abuse and behavioral pharmacology) and is a Licensed Psychologist. Her professional experience spans 15 years, and her career encompasses a wide range of activities in clinical, academic, and research settings. In addition to her private practice work, Dr. Karg continues to be an active international research scientist, and has authored numerous journal articles, scholarly papers, and book chapters on the assessment and treatment of substance abuse, trauma, risky sexual behaviors, and violence, and increasing motivation for self-care and self-improvement. Results of her work have also been published in newspapers and magazines, and have been presented to professional audiences in technical reports, briefings, and conference presentations. Dr. Karg is the recipient of numerous awards honoring her outstanding contributions to psychology and for her service work in professional and public communities.