Karen E. Courchaine holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Kent State University.  She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at the University of Florida.  During her academic training, Dr. Courchaine served as editorial assistant on two scholarly international academic journals and authored several articles, book reviews and book chapters.  She received teaching assistantships throughout her graduate schools years that culminated in awards for scholarship, leadership and service. 

Dr. Courchaine’s clinical experience is extensive and varied.  She began working in the human service field over 20 years ago as a telephone crisis counselor.  Dr. Courchaine has since gained experience in psychological assessment and treatment with all age groups, including children, adolescents, adults and geriatrics.  Part of her experience also includes working with veterans and their families.  She has held both clinical and management positions, including several key positions in community agencies. 

A life-long learner, Dr. Courchaine consistently seeks to become skilled in the most effective ways to help those that request her services.  She considers the trust her clients bring to her as a gift and strives for excellence in helping them sort out their problems, overcome obstacles, manage their emotions, and recover from difficult circumstances.  Her approach to treatment emphasizes engaging the individual’s positive qualities to effect meaningful change and to improve psychological and physical well-being.

As the psychologist that provided psychological evaluations for a community ADD/ADHD treatment clinic, Dr. Courchaine heard the concerns of many parents who were unhappy with medication as the only available form of treatment for their child.  Equally frustrated with this singular approach to treatment, Dr. Courchaine began to read and to research alternative and complementary means available to help children and families with ADD/ADHD.  Consistent with her commitment to providing the best possible services, it was essential to Dr. Courchaine that any possible alternatives be “evidence based”; that is, there exists sufficient research evidence that the treatment provides a reliable means for producing a positive outcome.

Happily, Dr. Courchaine discovered an effective form of treatment from an emerging field called EEG neurotherapy.  Through principles of operant conditioning, individuals who receive this form of treatment essentially “rehabilitate” their brainwave patterns through the use of interesting and fun computer video games.  Most individuals with ADD/ADHD who participate in a program of EEG neurotherapy are able to drastically reduce or even eliminate the need for stimulant medication. 

Thus, the ADHD program Dr. Courchaine now offers is comprehensive in nature.  She provides psychological testing for accurate diagnosis, direct treatment through EEG neurotherapy and individual psychotherapy (as needed), teaches parents skills for managing problem behaviors, provides nutritional information, discusses progress with the individual’s primary physician, and can assist with interventions to schools. 

Currently, Dr. Courchaine’s work primarily consists of an office practice where she provides assessment and psychotherapy, and EEG neurotherapy and biofeedback services to her clients.  She also continues to provide consultative psychological services to several local skilled nursing facilities, an interest she has pursued for almost 6 years.  Dr. Courchaine serves as the volunteer psychologist with the Kids and K-9’s program, an exciting new program focused on helping middle-school aged children lose weight while providing permanent homes to  abandoned dogs.  This program was highlighted on the Rachael Ray show on May 14, 2008.

Dr. Courchaine is a full member of the following organizations:  American Psychological Association, Florida Psychological Association, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapies, Association for Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, and the Biofeedback Society of Florida.