Karen Horwitz, M.A., M.F.T.

Practice Areas

Karen Horwitz is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice. She specializes in children and adolescents ages 4 and up as well as couples and families. She also specializes in high conflict divorce, co-parent counseling, and child development issues. Karen has had training in the understanding based model of mediation, child custody mediation, and in negotiating parenting plans that are best for children based on these developmental needs.  Karen is one of the early originators of a creative new parenting conflict resolution method called Parent Shadowing.  She has trained at the "Mindful Parenting Program" at the Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills, California.
 



Mrs. Horwitz particularly enjoys working directly with, and on behalf of, children aged 4 and beyond.  She holds certificates in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy for both adults and children from the Psychoanalytic Center of California.   

Conflict Resolution Experience and Training

Karen is one of the early originators of a creative new parenting conflict resolution method called "Parenting Shadowing."  A Parenting Shadow is a mental health professional who works in the home environment, helping Moms and Dads to better parent their children where there have been destructive allegations in difficult divorce cases.  We are pleased to offer this professional's expertise.  



Karen was a panel presenter at the 2009 AFCC conference in San Francisco.  She lectured to lawyers, judges and other mental health professionals about the Parenting Shadow option as an intervention in parent alienation cases.  In 2010, she spoke at this same conference in Los Angeles about the Parent Shadow as an innovative technique for parents in difficult custody situations.  



Karen has also had training in child custody mediation and in negotiating parenting plans that are best for the children based on their developmental needs, which may be of huge interest to warring parents who sense a better alternative exists.

She believes that the biggest gift parents who are parting ways can give to children is in investigating and finding amicable styles to get through an end to their adult relationship while recognizing that they remain bound by the needs and interests of the creatures they gave life to.  This offers the opportunity for children to feel safe and more secure not only at a horrendously difficult time in their families' lives, but also in their future years as well.  She feels passionately about holistic interventions to support children and families.   

Organizations and Achievements

Panel presenter Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) California Chapter Conference - Los Angeles, CA 2010: "Parenting Shadow - Innovative Intervention For Troubled Parents in Difficult Custody Situations."

Panel Presenter Association of Family and Conciliation Courts California Chapter Conference, San Francisco, CA, 2009: "Interventions with Alienated Children and their Parents:  Evolution and Innovation"

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Certificate/Children & Adolescents, Psychoanalytic Center California, 2007

Child Custody Mediation Training, 2005

Mindful Parenting Training and Supervision - intensive training in working with latency age children (under age 11) and toddlers - The Maple Counseling Center, 2002-2004

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Certificate - Adults, Psychoanalytic Center of California, 2005

Member California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, 2000 - Present

Member Association of Family Courts/California Chapter, 2004 - Present

Education

Antioch University, Los Angeles, Masters/Clinical Psychology - Child Studies Specialization, 2004

Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, B.S., 1994