Karen Walker, Occupational Therapist, KORE Consultant
I am a mother of twin daughters, Occupational Therapist, KORE Therapy Consultant and Holistic Health Practitioner, with a passion for promoting optimal health, well-being and independence. I specialise in working with children, young people and adults who are experiencing difficulties engaging fully in their daily lives, due to a long term health condition, illness, injury or other difficulties that are impacting on them, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
I have 22 years experience of working in the NHS in both Physical Health settings and Psychology services.
I trained as an Occupational Therapist in 2008, and over the years have worked with a range of clients with have a variety of health needs and conditions including: Persistent Pain, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,General Anxiety Disorders, Worry, Sleep Disorders, Neuro-Diverse conditions (Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyspraxia (DCD) and more. My aim is to assist clients to lead as fulfilled a life as possible, using goal oriented techniques.
In 2022/2023 I trained as a KORE Therapy Consultant. KORE Therapy is a ground-breaking assessment and treatment system, which specialises in not just dealing with symptoms, but finding and treating the underlying root cause to illness, pain, and injury.
This system blends Western Muscle Testing and Eastern Therapies to help restore health and wellbeing.
What I work with
Within my role as an Occupational Therapist, I predominantly work with children and young adults, coaching them to explore ways to engage in their daily activities including self-care (washing, dressing, feeding), productivity (engagement in school, handwriting, PE, socialising), and leisure (play, sports activities, friendships). Common conditions I assist with include: Worry, General Anxiety, Sleep disorders, Neuro-diverse conditions (ADHD, ASD, Dyspraxia), Emotional Dysregulation and Sensory Processing differences. Common symptoms of children/young people with altered sensory systems can include: over-sensitivity to textures, tastes/foods, noise, lights, or under-sensitivity, where a client may appear unresponsive to various sensations, or a mix of both. These symptoms can often lead to behaviours that can be tricky to manage. Alongside observations, I offer Occupational Therapy Assessments for parents, carers, and schools, Goal planning interventions and Reports. I also offer Sensory Screening to help demonstrate where a child/young person may be experiencing sensory differences and strategies to incorporate into schools, colleges and homes.
To enable schools to have a greater understanding of Sensory Processing and Emotional Dysregulation, how to spot the signs and use strategies to assist children within the school environments, I also offer a face-to-face Sensory Processing educational workshop.
Alongside Occupational Therapy, I am a KORE Therapy Consultant and incorporate these holistic therapies into my assessment and treatment sessions with adults, young people and children. KORE Therapy is an award winning, innovative approach to holistic healing and rehabilitation. Rooted in the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, K.O.R.E therapy focuses on restoring balance and harmony within the body to alleviate pain, improve mobility, and enhance overall well-being. Through a combination of manual techniques, corrective exercises, and lifestyle adjustments, K.O.R.E therapists work with the body to find the root causes of physical discomfort and dysfunction, rather than just treating symptoms.
I also work to support Headaches, Migraines, Fatigue, Joint Pain (Shoulders, Neck, Back, Hips, Knees), Fibromyalgia, Nerve impingements, Sciatica, Hormonal and Menstrual issues, Anxiety, IBS, Food Intolerances and many many more. I work with sports men, women and children, helping to build their performance. Please see website www.koretherapy.com for further details.
Appointments are available face to face in my clinic room in Carlisle or online.
Qualifications
Bsc (Hons) Occupational Therapy 2008
KORE Therapy Consultant 2023
Professional Registration and Membership
- Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- British Association of Occupational Therapists (BAOT)
- Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT)
- Member of the Sensory Integration Education Network (SIE)
- Member of KORE Therapy UK
- Federation of Holistic Therapies (FHT)
Specialist Skills
Occupation Performance Coaching
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, first aider (adults and paediatrics)
Neuro-rehabilitation
Sensory Integration
Yoga
Cognitive Based Mindfulness
Pain management
Stress management
Anxiety management
Sleep management
Fatigue management
Posture & Seating
Property/Environmental Assessments
Aids & Equipment assessment and recommendations
Work based assessments and recommendations
Client Testimonials.
‘Karen is quickly able to establish a therapeutic relationship with her client, finding out their goals and working with them jointly on an agreed action plan.’
‘After having 2 spinal operations, one resulting in spinal nerve damage, I was left with a limp, stiffness in my legs and back pain. On my first visit to try KORE, Karen found a leg length difference due to my pelvis being out of alignment. She then rectified this and now, though I still walk with a stick, I am not limping anymore. Karen recommended certain exercises to help with the stiffness. I now have regular KORE treatment, which has helped not just in my walking, but also in my general well-being. Karen is friendly and very knowledgeable, I would definitely recommend KORE therapy to anyone.’
‘Having known and worked alongside Karen in her role as an Occupational Therapist, I cannot recommend her highly enough. She is brilliant at her job, engaging and responsive to individual clients needs.’
‘Karen is very experienced and continuously strives to further her knowledge and skill base. She is professional, personable, honest and will provide individualised treatment plans with 100% commitment.’
‘I’ve slept so well the last few nights, best in 2 years. Back and hip feel great. I’m enjoying a good nights sleep and waking up pain free. Definitely coming again, I can hardly believe it. So grateful.’
