Karen is a fully qualified and registered (HCPC, RCOT) Mental health Occupational Therapist and has worked across the field of mental health, with adults and older adults, both in-patient and community, in the NHS for twenty years.  Karen has a joint honours degree in Occupational Therapy and Psychology from Glasgow Caledonian University. 

For the past six years, Karen has worked within community mental health services in acute care and is custom to working with people who are experiencing mental health crisis.  Daily work involved comprehensive mental health and risk assessment and subsequent planning of care.  Karen completed occupational interviews identifying strengths and inhibiting factors to a person’s optimal functioning performance and delivered therapeutic interventions using counselling and psychological strategies.

Karen’s specialist interests are within the field of vocational rehabilitation.  Karen developed specialist skills in her work in Scotland having completed the National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR) qualifications which focus on health in the work-place, identifying and recommending reasonable adjustments aiming to enable an employee to achieve optimum functioning in work and for an employer to have a functioning employee.  An individualised approach is taken aiming to align an employee’s strengths with the working role demands.  Part of this role involved attending a local business network and promoting work and positive mental health. 

In addition to vocational rehabilitation, Karen has completed training in the Model of Human Occupation assessments and in Behavioural Family work.  Most recently, Karen has completed a qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) having achieved a Post Graduate Diploma with commendation from Queen’s University Belfast, December 2023. 

Karen has experience of leading a team, managing staff and has completed leadership training (managing change) whilst working in Scotland. 

Karen brings a breadth of skills and experience including a pragmatic and collaborative approach with her aim of supporting each person to develop skills to maintain and improve upon their own mental health and wellbeing.