Resources
Karen is an orthopedic manual Physical Therapist with 25 years of experience. She brings to each session her breath and depth of clinical experience, creativity, patience and compassion to provide a unique and progressive program best suited for the patient.
She has a knack at problem solving the most difficult of cases. Her clinical skills, tenacity, and out of the box thinking have helped many patients out of the most dire of circumstances - impending surgery, difficult post-op rehab, or having had made little progress at another PT clinic.
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Karen’s strong and safe therapeutic presence, with empathic discernment provide a steady foundation to engage deep long held issues in the body. She is an Advanced Craniosacral Therapy (CST) practitioner who has an affinity to work with people who are healing from PTSD, and those who would like to release current or past traumas at the physical/ emotional/ generational/ spiritual levels. CST is a gentle, light touch treatment that tunes into where soft tissue or fluid restrictions reside in the body. Using touch and dialogue, Karen is able to engage both physical and emotional blockages you may have, then listen to the body's inner wisdom to guide a process that helps with releasing injury and trauma, discovering a new way of being, and integrate this into your daily life. And with her training as a Distance Healer, she can support you with CST virtually.
For 25 years she has furthered her trainings in traditional PT, CST, Healing From the Core, Lymph Drainage Therapy, Continuum Movement, and Visceral Manipulation. She is a Certified Presenter for Healing From the Core, and Certified Healing From the Core Distance Healing Facilitator. She has taught Healing From the Core Overview one-day workshops and is an active teaching assistant for the Upledger Craniosacral Therapy curriculum.
Education and Certifications
Arcadia University (formerly Beaver College) 1996
Karen graduated with a M.S.P.T. from Arcadia University (formerly Beaver College) in 1996, and one of only 3 Honors graduates in a class of 70.
Karen is a Licensed Physical Therapist in VA, DC, and MD
Baltimore School of Massage 2001
Karen is a Certified Massage Therapist, Licensed in VA and MD.
Upledger Institute 2000- Current
Karen is an Advanced level Craniosacral Therapist practitioner training since 2000 in Somatoemotional Release, Immune System, Brain/Glial Cell work. She is an active teaching assistant in many classes under the Upledger Institute and has led study groups in CST.
Columbia Union College 1992
Karen graduated Summa Cum Laude, B.S. in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry. National Science Foundation Scholar. Biology Department Student of the Year. Chemistry Department Student of the Year.
My Philosophy
My deep intention is to facilitate your body’s inner wisdom for self-healing and recovery. As the Phoenix rises from its ashes and transforms, I am here to guide you through your own transformation, connecting with you through gentle touch, following the path of your body’s physical signals in order to support your process. I recognize the holistic and complex nature of healing and am able to gently hold a grounded steady therapeutic presence for you.
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I (she/her/hers) am proud to be a Filipina American immigrant, and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. I believe Black Lives Matter. I understand the barriers that have kept many people out of healing practices of all types, and my practice is inclusive of people of all races, sizes, ages, cultures, immigration statuses, abilities or disabilities, gender identities, LGBTQIA+, queer and more.
I welcome all to my clinic with kindness, acceptance, and my full presence and listening.
What lies deepest in the heart of my practice is the honoring that the alchemy of love is what returns us home to our true selves, and THAT is what heals.