About Red Heart Counselling and Support

Karen is a 4th generation Wynnum/Manly local. She holds Master of Social Work/Master of Mental Health Practice, Bachelor of Human Services with majors in Counselling and Child and Family Studies, and Certificate IV in Telephone Counselling. 

Karen is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers and brings a wealth of life experience to the Social Work profession. She is a parent of 3 adult children and has been employed in Government departments, not-for-profit organisations and private enterprise. 

Karen is kind, compassionate and empathetic. She has been a carer herself and has a special interest in the experience of grief and loss. She has a love for Outback Australia and is experienced in providing therapy to clients in rural and remote areas through online platforms.

Karen's self-care practices include spending time with family and friends, camping, travel, sewing and immersing herself in The Arts. She was a dance teacher for 30 years.

Red Heart Counselling and Support offers a range social work services, including counselling, case management, and advocacy. Here are some examples of how you may find our services helpful: 

 grief and loss counselling

caring for the carer

navigating life transitions (including supporting you and your family during palliative care and end-of-life)

relationship counselling

parenting assistance

mental health support

mental health first aid

general counselling

At Red Heart Counselling and Support, we believe in our clients' abilities as experts of their own lives. Our focus is on our client being at the centre of all we do. We value collaboration and take a strengths-based, trauma-informed and culturally-safe approach to social work. Working collaboratively with our clients to identify their strengths and build upon them towards continuous improvement assists with achieving positive outcomes.

In tailoring our approach to our client, we use therapies such as:

Solutions Focused Brief Therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Narrative Therapy

In short, we are guided by our core values of compassion, integrity, and social justice. We believe in treating each client with empathy and respect, upholding the highest ethical standards, and working towards a more equitable society.