About Us
Karen Vandiver LMFT-S
Karen Vandiver is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Texas Approved Supervisor with extensive experience who owns New Healthworks; in addition, she is the founder of Mindful Meditation Training Institute. While working on her Masters Degree at Mary Hardin-Baylor she served as an Academic Advisor Graduate Assistantship for undergraduate students. More recently, she worked as Adjunct Professor of Psychology at The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She has also provided annual guest lectures on Jungian Psychology at the University of Texas Doctoral Theories Class and annual lectures to the LMFT Supervisor Training Class at Texas A&M Central Texas. She is trained in Systemic, Strategic, and Bowen Family Systems.
Training in EMDR added to her already successful outcomes with trauma, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. As a Certified Hypnotherapist with the National Guild she has had success with behavioral issues along with peak performance. Her ability to utilize a unique and creative approach is individualized for each person and has led to real results.
Because of her unique approach and understanding she is asked to provide numerous presentations at multiple military bases on PTSD and Combat Stress on a regular basis.
She served as a professional liaison for The Oaks Treatment Center, flying children and adolescents back home to meet with the military families and their onsite clinical team for continuum of care. Karen has created inpatient and outpatient treatment programs for psychiatric hospitals and outpatient treatment centers.
Formally trained in eastern meditation practices and yoga, meditation retreats for students are held during the year as well as the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program. Students also learn MBCT whose success is supported by The National Institutes of Health. New research from 2019 indicates that regular meditation practice helps heal the brain and body of trauma.
She has served as a member of the board of directors of PTSD Recovery Centers of America, Songwriting with Soldiers, two term board president of The C. G. Jung Society, a two term board of director member and fundraising chair of Austin, Texas, board of director member for The International Piano Institute of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Capital Area Mental Health Center board of director of Austin, Texas; The Women's Center of Austin board of director member, and Waco Center for Youth as fundraising chair on the board of directors.
Miscellaneous awards and publications: A flag was flown on her birthday across the sky overseas and she was presented with it on safe return from deployment along with a certificate. She was also a liaison for Military One Source providing training on combat stress and PTSD to military bases all over the United States for which she earned two awards and a certificate. In addition, she received two decorative coins for working with professionals for Three Corps. She has written articles for Military One Source, Austin M.D. Magazine, Enjoy Whole Health as Psychology Columnist, and Santa Fe Sound Board Music Magazine.
