Karen has been inolved in the personal and spiritual development field since her initial training 1981. A dedicated and inspired therapist, Karen has been in private practice as a Sandplay Therapist and Transpersonal and Expressive Therapies Counsellor for over 30 years.
Her love of dance and movement also weaves itself through all her work and she has run courses in Natural Dance with various Adult Community Education Centres throughout Australia.
She is a Certified Clinical Member of the Australian Counselling Association and a qualified clinical supervisor and trainer. She also holds a Grad.Cert. in Counselling.
Originally working and training in Transpersonal Breathwork at the Living Waters Centre in the Blue Mountains in the early 80's, with Ahrara Bhakti, Karen also studied Sandplay Therapy and Jungian psychology with Patrick Jansen, co-director of Living Waters Centre. Patrick Jansen is a Jungian Analyst who trained at the Jung Institute in Zurich with Dora Kalff. Karen was on the staff at the Centre for many years.
Branching out to develop her own work, Karen co-founded and co-directed the Inner Work Centre in the Blue Mountains, facilitating individual, group and training programs until 1996 when she left the Blue Mountains to live and work in northern NSW, near Byron Bay.
In 2002-2005 Karen's work expanded to include a practice in Brisbane and Sydney. The continuing growth of the work here in Sydney prompted her move to settle on the North Shore where Karen originally grew up. She has re-established the Institute in Turramurra surrounded by bushland and birdsong.
A wonderful opportunity to take Sandplay to the Philippines happened in 2006 when Karen and a colleague facilitated a introductory Sandplay Training course for the Welfare Workers and Psychologists at Bantay Bata, a children's orphanage near Manilla.
Karen brings a gentle compassion, a deep understanding and her vast experience to all her clients.