Karen Vandeburgt

As a Christian, my approach to therapy is rooted in compassion, hope, and respect as I work with adults and couples. Because human beings are relational, we heal when we are with caring people who see and hear us. I enjoy working with people from diverse backgrounds and I strive to create a safe environment where you feel comfortable exploring your thoughts and emotions to develop the skills and tools you need to thrive in your relationships and live more fully and joyfully in the world. I have a special interest in supporting those who have experienced different types of abuse and/or trauma. 

I pull from my life experiences as a former elementary and high school teacher, as well as a wife, mother, and grandmother. I understand people from biopsychosocial and spiritual perspectives, focusing on developing a compassionate and collaborative relationship with my clients while maintaining an attachment and trauma-informed presence. I have experience helping people learn to cope with: ADHD, addiction, aging, anxiety, depression, grief, abuse, trauma, dissociation (PTSD, CPTSD), body image and disordered eating.

While my primary theoretical orientation is Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Processing (AEDP), I have done training in Internal Family Systems and Life Span Integration Therapy. I also have advanced training in EMDR. 

For my therapeutic work with couples, I use a combination of Emotion Focused Couples Therapy and Gottman Method Couples Counselling. I am also a Prepare-Enrich facilitator (premarriage counselling).