Karen Lynn Tarpey received her Master of Social Work degree at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. in 1987. Karen trained at the Jay Haley Family Therapy Institute in Rockville, Maryland. She worked in the field of foster care and adoption in the District of Columbia, along with a psychiatric inpatient setting and emergency shelter for abused and neglected children prior to moving to the Charleston area.

Since that time, Ms. Tarpey has raised a family and been in private practice for the past 21 years. Her specialty is working with children and families. She is trained in play therapy and her areas of interest include divorce, abuse and neglect, trauma, ADHD, and behavioral issues.   She uses cognitive behavioral therapy and the Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy Integrated with Play Therapy. 

Ms. Tarpey works with adults going through life transitions, dealing with grief, depression and anxiety.  She works with women and men who are attempting to heal from sexual abuse using the “In the Wildflowers” Series created by Julie Woodley and Restoring the Heart Ministries.  Her approach is client centered,healing based, cognitive behavioral.  She works with families using art therapy and a structural therapy approach.