Associate Bio
Karen has always been driven by changing the world for the better, starting out in youth work and charity sector informal education in their teens and 20s before training as a Play Therapist.
They have spent the past 16 years working with a wide range of children and their families, helping them process traumatic events or adverse childhood experiences and harnessing the amazing healing power of play to achieve this.
Karen believes play is a child’s primary form of communication and can be used across a variety of situations to help prevent conflict, build relationships whilst not forgetting it’s agency to bring joy and fun.
She is also an experienced supervisor of Play Therapists including those training at the University of Roehampton and have run many workshops for foster carers & parents on mental health and the importance of play, as well as lunchtime play sessions for busy workers.
Karen is a strong advocate of play and believes that they bring a valuable and, at times, alternative perspective to problems, challenges and experiences that would benefit immensely from a playful lens
Current / Notable Projects
- Play Therapist at Whitehall Junior School
- Clinical Supervisor, Play Therapy MA, Roehampton University
- Clinical Supervisor- Private Clients
- Lunchtime Play Workshop- C40 Cities
- Research Techniques Generation & Play Workshop- The Pineapple Lounge
- Importance of Play Training for Brent Foster Carers
- Individual Play Therapy Sessions for multiple children & families (focus on children in care system)
- Guest Lecturer in Play Therapy- Goldsmiths University
- Clinical Supervisor, Play Therapy MA- Roehampton University
- Paper published in British Journal of Play Therapy
Current / Previous Clients
University of Roehampton
Goldsmiths University
Brent Council
Brent CAMHS
The Pineapple Lounge
C40 Cities