Meet Your Neighbor: Hannah Karasick, LCSW | Blog

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, Modern Main Line Living thought it would be the perfect time to interview fellow neighbor and psychotherapist Hannah Karasick, LCSW.

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Meet your Main Line neighbor, Hannah Karasick, LCSW. She grew up in a family-friendly neighborhood in Penn Valley where she attended schools in the Lower Merion School District: Penn Valley Elementary (and when the new school was built/redistricted Belmont Hills Elementary), Welsh Valley Middle School, and Harriton High School. Memories of her childhood are filled with being able to safely go outside and play with other neighborhood kids who she was able to grow up with all the way through high school!

Upon graduating from Harriton, Hannah attended the University of Delaware, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Sociology. She further enhanced her credentials by earning her Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. View Hannah’s LinkedIn profile for more information on her academic and work background.

Modern Main Line Living had the pleasure of sitting down with Hannah on a beautiful Friday afternoon at her office in Wayne. We had the opportunity to learn about why she pursued a career in psychology and her work as a Psychotherapist at Cornerstone Therapy and Wellness.

“No child is exempt from facing challenges growing up.” said Hannah. “In high school, when my friends struggled at times, I felt drawn to helping them.” The desire to help those in need and her love for volunteer work guided Hannah into the field of Psychology. Those who know Hannah (including her clients) would describe her as patient, empathetic and unconditionally supportive. She has a welcoming disposition that makes you feel comfortable and understood. This shines through her work with children, adolescents, and adults struggling with depression, anxiety, PTSD, peer issues, school issues, and self-esteem challenges.

The need for a therapist became even more instrumental in someone coping with their mental health during the global pandemic. Many of the challenges people were facing pre-COVID were intensified by social distancing, online school, working from home, political turmoil, etc. Now as we move into a “post pandemic” world, clients still need that support to navigate this new environment.

You may hear a loved one say, “Therapy isn’t for me, I have my friends to talk to.” This may be true, but if someone is open to it, when is the right time to see a therapist? According to Hannah, the time may arise when someone experiences, “interpersonal issues, loss/grief, poor management of stress/anxiety, transitions/changes, etc.” She goes on to say, “Situationally, most people would say that they have experienced some kind of hardship in their life and therapy allows for people to have a non-judgmental outlet to talk through those difficult times and establish healthy coping mechanisms to deal with what life throws at us.” Although our friends can be great listeners and provide their own thoughts and advice, a therapist is a trained clinician who can offer an unbiased perspective while providing the appropriate tools for effective decision-making and mood management. Furthermore, after each of her sessions, Hannah hopes that there is something that was discussed with her clients that they can take with them and put into practice, something a friend might not be able to provide.

Mental Health Awareness Month is a great reminder that it’s OK to get help from a licensed professional. “I believe that everyone can admit to struggling emotionally and/or mentally at some point in their lives, so even if one person a day could work toward being more open and comfortable to discuss their emotions, then we’re doing our work to create a healthier and safer environment for everyone to talk about mental health- let’s destroy the stigma together!” emphasized Hannah.

If you are interested in seeing Hannah, please contact the Cornerstone Therapy and Wellness Center here.