Karen earned her Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Sonoma State University with focuses on social justice, trauma resolution, and mindfulness in 2016. She completed her practicum hours at the Lomi Psychotherapy Clinic, a community mental health clinic in Santa Rosa, CA. Under Thomas Pope, founder of the Lomi Clinic, she completed a year-long training in the evidenced-based practice of mindfulness and somatics. 

Karen has experience with adolescents in dual diagnosis residential treatment, as well as with people suffering from severe and persistent mental illness through Sonoma County Behavioral Health. Additionally, Karen has worked in medically assisted, 12 step-based residential care for substance abuse. Through these experiences, Karen has hundreds of hours of experience facilitating therapeutic groups. 

During Covid, Karen worked with adolescents with emotional disturbances, intellectual disabilities, and autism through Santa Rosa City Schools and Integrity Therapeutics. 

Karen began her private practice in October 2020, after spending 8 years in practice as a somatic hypnotherapist in Santa Rosa, CA, focusing on women with trauma and eating disturbances, as well as those seeking spiritual transformation. 

She received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology at the University of Central Florida graduating summa cum laude in 2010. She also spent a year as an intern in Spiritual Care at Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital working with multi-faith professionals. Karen conducted research for the US military in a lab at the University of Central Florida, and was selected as the lead research assistant for a NASA Psychologist studying gender differences. 

Karen holds a 200-hour advanced certification through the Hypnotherapy Training Institute in Marin, CA and has trained with renowned teachers of various forms of mysticism, yoga, meditation, ceremony, and transpersonal philosophy which complement and inform her work as a therapist. Additionally, Karen completed a 3-month training on anti-racist theory and action through a somatic lens. 

Karen has specialized training in EMDR for trauma recovery through Philip Mansfield of EMDRIA as well as extensive training in the current advancements in the treatment of chronic pain and illness through mind-body approaches. 

Karen is an avid student of the 12 steps, and lives semi off-grid in Sebastopol, CA with her long-term partner and two cats Mili and Pearl (who could use some family therapy)! Karen is also a meditator, a painter, a poet, and a designer/creative director. Karen is part of the disabled community due to living with a debilitating pain condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.