Karen Pickett has served as a Faculty Reader Leader in the M.A. Program in Spiritual Psychology since 2005.  She is also a faculty member in the M.A. Program in Counseling Psychology and serves as a member of the University’s Application Review Committee.

Karen is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California.  She is an expert in the treatment of anxiety disorders, body dysmorphic disorder, and the body-focused repetitive impulse control disorders of Trichotillomania and skin picking.  As an expert, Karen has appeared on Dateline NBC, the Discovery Channel, and in various magazines and newspaper articles.

Karen is a Professional Member of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and the Trichotillomania Learning Center.

Karen also holds a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University.  Previously, she was the Transportation Management Coordinator for the City of Santa Monica where she designed and implemented award-winning employee transportation programs.  During this time, Karen also served on the Board of Directors for the City’s mid-level management employee organization and was its President for seven years, where she was recognized as an exceptional leader.

Karen lives in Los Angeles, California, with her partner, Andy Palmer, and her two cats, Maggie and Booboo.  She loves to walk, hike, paint, draw, dance, read, and watch motorcycle racing.