Karen has over 25 years experience in the healthcare field. She began her career as a strength and conditioning coach for both professional and recreational athletes. As she worked with these athletes she began to notice a high rate of injuries and a reoccurrence of these same injuries. This led her to work with a team of physical therapists to try to help restore strength and function to not only athletes, but to all types of people suffering with chronic pain, disease and dysfunction. Although now working in a physical therapy setting, Karen still noticed that the clients they had treated and discharged would come back in pain once again.
In 1998, Karen put herself through massage school in hopes to be able to help her clients more. Even with the addition of massage therapy to the physical therapy and strength training modalities, there was still a disconnect. This disconnectedness seemed to be within the medical system in general; nobody seemed to be looking at the whole person. Karen began to sit down and talk to each client to see if they too felt this lack of attention by their healthcare providers. Each one of her clients expressed a similar frustration and felt that their voices were not being heard.
After years of trying to find specifically what the healthcare system was lacking, John F. Barnes was able to provide the missing link. His Myofascial Release (MFR) approach is a whole body approach that helps facilitate the power of healing in your own body. He teaches that profound changes can occur with a gentle, but firm, caring touch. Karen began her studies under John F. Barnes in 2013, and immediately introduced his techniques into her practice. Karen and her clients soon noticed a profound impact of his Myofascial Release approach, resulting in positive changes in all aspects of their lives.
Karen looks at each client as a unique individual, and gives a very personalized, hands-on type of therapy. She devotes a tremendous amount of time and attention to each of her clients, to better understand what might be the root cause of their pain. This therapist-client connection opens the door for true healing to occur. The restrictions within the body that have been causing pain and dysfunction are finally able to release. Her clients can return to a state of wholeness and become free to enjoy their lives. Once free of these restrictions, Karen uses her background in strength and conditioning to give her clients the opportunity to not only regain their strength, but to become stronger than they thought possible. By teaching her clients ways in which they can help themselves, Karen’s clients now have the necessary tools to self treat and maintain their well-being.