Karen is a Manitoba Red River Métis, visual artist and art therapist living in Toronto, Ontario. Her roots stem back to both Winnipeg and Northern Manitoba - God's Lake Narrows First Nation & Red Sucker Lake First Nation. Traveling in between the city and northern life inspired many aspects of her life both professionally and artistically. 

 

In 2009, Karen graduated with a BFA Honours from the University of Manitoba and left for Toronto to solidify a career in the arts. With a passion for art, research, and working alongside diverse populations, Karen enrolled into the Toronto Art Therapy Insititute (TATI) in 2015. 

 

In spring 2018, Karen was awarded the TATI Gilda Grossman art therapy award for the best major project of the year - How can art therapy support Aboriginal Mothering? Community teachings shared in a community mosaic. Informed by Indigenous Research Methods her thesis drew upon the strengths of Elder Albert Marshall's Two-Eyed Seeing approach and paired it with Expressive art therapy. 

 

Many people ask, What is Art Therapy? Art Therapy is an expressive form of therapy that combines art in a creative process to nurture one’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

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