With the combination of a sharp analytical mind and a sensitive and creative personality, Karen is a compassionate and effective psychotherapist. Karen has a Master of Counselling from the University of Canberra. Karen is a clinically registered counsellor with PACFA (Psychotherapist and Counselling Federation of Australia).
With specialisation in working with people who have experienced trauma – from a working history including working with people who have experienced sudden bereavement, family and domestic violence, incarceration and relational and developmental trauma – Karen participates in regular supervision and training (BlueKnot, Janina Fisher, Self Psychology Somatic Psychotherapy etc), to keep up to date re trauma treatment and safe practices. Karen also works with people living with disability of any type (for full details see Professional Work History below).
After mature age entry post-graduate study in Social Research in 2013, Karen chose to pursue a clinical qualification in Counselling.
Karen has a passion for relational psychotherapy and has read widely and attended workshops in associated areas – including Somatic Movement and Body Focused Therapies, Self Psychology, Emotion Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Jungian thought. Karen has an interest in trauma and it’s many manifestations, and how we live with and integrate it’s effects. She has participated in movement workshops and explored trauma theory and its links with body awareness, and movement, combined with verbal psychotherapy.
Karen receives regular professional supervision.
Karen’s journey of Self Knowledge
… began with her interest in getting to know her self and what life is all about consciously from about age 16. Now, Karen finds inspiration in the simple things, including nature, people and a variety of creative arts.
Karen began her journey of self discovery from a base of Christian theory and practice in her school days. Later, from age 19, meditation and chanting in the Vedic tradition became a regular part of her life. Karen has explored Buddhism also, attending classes in Tibetan Buddhism for a couple of years. Karen has an ongoing commitment to the growth of her self awareness. Karen is equally restored outside in the wonder of nature and her aim is for a life of peace, freedom and compassion.
Professional Work History
Karen began her working life as an IT auditor and financial accountant, and then as a business and finance manager in the early 90’s.
Karen volunteered as a foster carer with Barnardos Australia from 2006 – 2016 & in 2021-23, participating in many training opportunities regarding understanding and responding to problematic behaviours, trauma informed parenting and trauma informed out of home care. Karen has worked as a swimming teacher and as a learning support teacher, supporting children with special needs in the mainstream classroom.
To match her working life with her personal interests, Karen studied Social Research at the ANU in 2013, then chose to step closer to clinical work with Post Graduate qualifications in Counselling at the University of Canberra, which was complete in 2019.
In 2015, Karen moved from working with parents and families, to working with individual clients who have experienced trauma with SupportLink, working within the following programs – the ACT Trauma and Support Service, ACT Ambulance Service, StandBy Suicide Bereavement. This work included supporting people who have experienced a sudden death, work related incidents, motor vehicle accidents and other traumatic incidents, past and recent, as well as general counselling (relationships, drug and alcohol, career). Working as a Wellbeing Support Officer for the ACT ambulance service also involved critical incident debriefing – for groups of all sizes – as well as follow up with the individuals involved.
In late 2016 Karen participated in her University placement at the ACT adult correctional facility (the Alexander Maconochie Centre). Her work at the AMC was as a Mental Health Professional conducting intake and risk assessments, and providing ongoing therapeutic intervention for detainees referred for psychological support both in groups and individually. Following on from that placement, Karen was offered paid contracts at the prison, working as an individual and group therapist (forensic psychotherapy).
Karen began to see clients privately at her clinic in Turner in 2017 and continues to do so, now in Griffith, ACT. From 2016 to 2020, in addition to her private practice, Karen worked in the Domestic and Family Violence Sector as a Crisis Worker, Court Support worker and Crisis Case Practitioner. In 2020, Karen then moved to work as a Couples and Family Counsellor in a not for profit organisation, with a focus on family and relationships.
Qualifications
B.Commerce (from the ANU), Grad Cert. (Business Admin. from UC), Grad Cert (Soc. Research from the ANU), Master of Counselling (from UC).
PACFA Registrant (24364).
Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician with ANZAED.
Awarded the Deans Excellence Award 2017, University of Canberra.
Professional Memberships
- Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
- Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders Credentialed Clinical Member (ANZAED)
- International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (IARPP)
- International Association for Psychodynamic Self-Psychology (IAPSP)
- Training & Research Institute for Intersubjective Self Psychology (TRISP)
