Karen Carnabucci, MSS, LCSW, LISW-S, TEP, is a psychotherapist, coach, consultant and educator who employs traditional, contemporary and alternative models to work with people to solve problems, make decisions, expand creativity and find peace.

She has a lifelong interest in alternative health and mind-body psychotherapies and has practiced and taught experiential learning and healing methods in a variety of settings locally, regionally, nationally and internationally since 1989.

As early as the 1940s, her mother started a small natural health business, embracing whole foods, brown bread and alternative foods like tofu and yogurt. Her parents raised goats for milk; there were a few backyard chickens, two beehives and a large organic vegetable garden.

Sadly, her mother’s interest in natural health was not able to protect her from a serous mental illness which painfully affected family life. Karen resolved to learn all she could about the dimensions of health to understand why people lost their way and how to find and maintain health in mind, body and spirit.

For many years, Karen wrote extensively about health, the creative arts and family life as an award-winning journalist with the morning newspaper in Lancaster, Pa. Eventually her own  personal growth journey led her to change careers to help others.

Formal and other training

In addition to formal training at the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College,  where Karen  received her master's degree in clinical social work, she attended the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Rhinebeck, N.Y., and the Howell Centre for Psychodrama and Sociodrama, Barnstable, England.

She has had the great good fortune to study closely with Zerka Moreno, the widow and collaborator of J.L. Moreno, the European physician who developed psychodrama and learn from a variety of spiritual teachers, mystics, healers, and other practitioners. Most recently she has been certified in systemic constellation work with Heinz Stark of the Stark Institute, Germany.

Karen is a licensed clinical social worker and Wisconsin's only nationally certified trainer, educator and practitioner in psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy. She is also licensed in Ohio as a social worker and clinical supervisor.

Current activities

In addition to her private pratice, Karen has been an adjunct instructor at Gateway Technical College locally and teaches adult education courses at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, Wis.

She frequently presents on a variety of personal growth and professional development topics with special interests in trauma, addiction, spirituality, creativity, self care for helping professionals, the holistic approach to health and wellness and the use of the creative arts in healing and health.

She the owner of Lake House Health & Learning Center and the founder of the annual Guide to Health, Wellness and Creative Living In Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Ilinois.

Articles and books

She is the co-author of the book, Integrating Psychodrama and Systemic Constellation Work: New Directions for Action Methods, Mind-Body Therapies and Energy Healing for Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

She also has published The Psychodrama Notebook, a 45-page set of handouts for psychodrama students, and Whole Person Marketing, a marketing manual for holistic helping professionals, which may be purchased here.

She has contributed chapters to professional books and written articles about trauma, the creative arts therapies, addiction and other clinical issues for regional and national publications, including Many Voices, Healing Magazine, Counselor, D&A News, Midwest Meetings and others.

Other

She is certified with Therapeutic Spiral International, an organization based in Charlottesville, Va., that trains professionals in safe experiential treatment for survivors of trauma and has been a member of action trauma teams in Pennsylvania, Maine, Illinois, Wisconsin and Maryland.

Before opening her practice in 1995, she worked as a therapist for the Caron Treatment Centers, an internationally known chemical dependency treatment center in Wernersville, Pa., and other settings in Pennsylvania.

She continues to take trainings to expand, update and refresh her skills and is currently studying Systemic Family Constellation Work with Heinz Stark, founder of the Stark Institute, Germany.

To make an appointment with Karen for psychotherapy or coaching sessions or to learn more about her training programs and presentations, call (262) 633-2645 or e-mail here.