“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” —Jiddu Krishnamurti
My goal is for you to be the best version of yourself. We are so often living under burdens of what others want us to be, the traumas that defined our past and feel unfulfilled. When we heal and reprocess trauma, we are free to live fully as ourselves. Your unique qualities, interests, abilities and experiences are what make you you. As your therapist I will support your right to self-determination, individualism, and personal growth.
Therapeutic Modalities
EMDR
Karen is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). EMDR is a scientifically validated and efficient treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and it has proven invaluable in the treatment of many other conditions. Karen's primary modality is EMDR, and it is helpful for persons who have survived abuse, neglect, and other kinds of trauma by somatically processing “stuck” memories and negative self-beliefs. One of the benefits of EMDR, is that it does not require the client to “relive” the event, nor talk about it in a very detailed manner. Karen has seen numerous clients empowered from EMDR to reduce and eliminate many symptoms like anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and other triggers. For more information watch this video from EMDR International Association (EMDRIA).
Ego State Therapy
Ego State Therapy is a form of "Parts Work" similar to Internal Family Systems (IFS). You may have heard of "inner child work" which also overlaps with Ego State therapy. Parts work is a way for us to have compassion on our symptoms, insecurities, and trauma while moving into an empowered, grounded, and more peaceful existence. Ego State therapy provides a format to organize what can sometimes feel overwhelming in our minds. Fight, flight, freeze, submit, and attach, are all parts of our autonomic nervous system that we can work to heal. Ego State therapy compliments EMDR, as it also all the parts of us to consent to therapy and reprocessing trauma. I've had many clients who've reported faster breakthrough and progress with combining EMDR and Ego State therapy than other forms of talk therapy. For more information read here: https://www.egostateinternational.com/ego-state-therapy.php
Specialties
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain can create feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. One main feature of chronic pain and illness is the never ending and repeated aspect of the experience. Chronic pain can create a feeling of wanting to disconnect from our awareness of our physical body and experience.
Chronic pain can have physical or unknown causes, and can send signals of ongoing threat through the brain and body. EMDR therapy can ease chronic pain symptoms, create clarity around the body sensations of embodied trauma, reframe negative beliefs, improve energy and mood, and help clients to create a different relationship with pain so it does not define them.
I am trained in the specialized EMDR Chronic Pain Protocol.
EMDR International Association. (2023). EMDR therapy and chronic pain [Client Handout].
Family of Origen Trauma/ ACA
Most of my clients have experienced some form of Family of Origen (FOO) trauma. This could be abuse or neglect, and also repeated humiliations, violations, intrusions, etc. which impacted your nervous system and ability to currently feel calm and secure. These experiences are also referred to "developmental trauma", as these incidents are foundational to us feeling like, "I'm not good enough," "I'm responsible for everyone," "I'm not safe," and other negative beliefs about yourself are true. Sometimes witnessing something scary as a child, hearing parents argue, being yelled at, or shamed can be a source of lasting negative self-beliefs. EMDR is an effective and transformational therapy to reprocess this trauma—no matter how "big" or "small".
I work with many clients who've survived childhood trauma are Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA). Using kindness, humor, patience, and respect we can now reparent ourselves. You could benefit from simply reading ACA's free literature online or attending a free 12-step meeting. Find out more information here: https://adultchildren.org/. ACA attendance is not a requirement of mine, though many clients are surprised by how healing it is to meet in a group of others who understand what you've been through. Whether you read some ACA literature, attend meeting sporadically or consistently, it is a resource that compliments therapy.
See below for more info on EMDR
Introduction to EMDR
Courtesy of EMDR International Association
