Influential Woman · Social WorkPsychology
Heather Karaman
LCSW
Psychotherapist, --
New York, NY
Her Story
About Heather
Heather Karaman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in New York, NY. With 30 years in private practice, she specializes in depression, anxiety, life stage transitions, divorce, reparenting, and codependence. Karaman earned her undergraduate degree from NYU Film School, Tisch School of the Arts, with a double major in economics and broadcast journalism. She pursued further studies at the Chicago School for Professional Psychology, obtained a master's in psychopathology and personality disorders from the New School for Social Research, and attended Columbia University. She maintains memberships in the National Association of Social Workers and has served on the board at Mount Sinai Hospital, as well as affiliations with the Karen Horney Institute. Karaman attributes her success to her skills, empathy, personal background, education, and passion for her work. She advises building a practice with faith in one's abilities and emphasizes the importance of strong supervision and support networks for those entering the field. Her values center on honesty, integrity, honor, responsibility, and humor.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Heather
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'm good at what I do. I'm also rather, well, I like to think most people that are in this field are at least empathic, if not empaths. I would say my past, how I grew up, my own therapy, many therapeutic journeys that I've taken as a patient, my education, and my natural proclivity to do what I love and love what I do and do it well. I have volumes of cards and notes written to me from people that I keep.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Build it and they will come. When I first went into practice, with the Clinton administration and everything was, there's not gonna be any private practice anymore, it's all going through insurance, several people older and wiser, my supervisor, my mentor at Columbia, told me Just open a practice, and you'll see it will build, and you have faith in your skill and talent. You're meant to be doing this. And they don't take insurance.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Have a really, really strong supervisor and have a really strong support network personally. Because this work can be very exhausting, and you can be burnt out before you know it, you can be over your head before you know it, so you need a really strong supervisor for a long time. I saw my supervisor for 13 years when I first started. And a supervision group with colleagues.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The pandemic changed the whole therapy landscape. There's so much delayed reactions from the pandemic. There's no more in office, really. People prefer Zoom, or FaceTime, or phone. Since 2020, people get the goods from Zoom. That's the biggest challenge post-pandemic.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty. Integrity. Honor. An unwavering sense of responsibility to my patients and also to the people I love who also love me. And humor. I'm hysterical, and my patients benefit from that.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.