Karen O Dell

Karen O'Dell is an Art Therapist at The Base Health, where she works as part of a collaborative team of mental health clinicians. She brings both professional training and personal insight to her role, drawing on her lived experience as a carer for a loved one with Complex PTSD and a parent living with dementia.
With a strong belief in the transformative power of creativity, Karen is passionate about making art therapy accessible to individuals who may find traditional talk therapies challenging. She offers a calm, safe, and supportive space where clients can explore emotions, build resilience, and reconnect with their strengths through creative expression.

Karen works with both young people and adults in individual and small group settings, including family-based sessions such as mother–daughter joint therapy. Her approach is person-centred, trauma-informed, and grounded in building trust and therapeutic connection.

In addition to her work as a therapist, Karen is a practising visual artist with many years of experience teaching art and craft in schools, community settings, and mentoring programs. She holds a Diploma in Art Therapy from the College for Educational and Clinical Art Therapy, a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art from Newcastle University, a Graduate Diploma in Mental Health and is currently completing a Master of Mental Health. Karen is also a registered member of the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT).