Karen worked as a nurse in outpatient and hospital settings for 20+ years before graduating from the University of Washington with a Masters in Psychiatric Nursing. She has been a psychiatric nurse practitioner since 2013 specializing in the care of individuals with mental health issues including depression, anxiety, mood disorders, ADHD, and PTSD. Her goal in caring for patients is for patients to improve their quality of life and realize how small mental health improvements can have a ripple effect. She finds it rewarding to guide people through the process of diagnosis, self-awareness, treatment and sustained improvement to mental health . When not at work, Karen enjoys being an empty-nester and getting outdoors as much as possible.