About Karen Johnson-Carere

Karen is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (#20160) and a regulated member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. She holds a master’s degree in counselling psychology and completed her internship at MyLife Counselling under the supervision of our Clinical Director Mark Nixon.

For over 25 years, Karen has dedicated her career to helping individuals and families navigate life’s most demanding chapters. As a longtime Parent Educator at the Guelph Community Health Centre, she was the person families turned to for guidance, resources, and a compassionate ear. Her move into psychotherapy is a natural evolution of that work — bringing with her deep real-world experience and genuine understanding of the struggles that bring people through the door.

From Sleepless Nights to Letting Go: Navigating Every Stage of Parenthood

Becoming a parent changes everything — your identity, your relationship, your sense of control. Drawing on attachment theory and the Circle of Security framework, Karen helps parents understand their own relational patterns so they can build stronger, more secure bonds with their children at every stage of development. Whether you’re a new mom or dad adjusting to life after the birth of a child, or a parent struggling to stay connected as your kids grow into their teenage years and beyond, Karen can help. She works with parents experiencing postpartum anxiety and depression, emotional overwhelm, sleep deprivation and burnout, shifting family dynamics, and the quiet insecurities that so many parents carry but rarely say out loud.

Karen creates a space where you can explore what kind of parent you want to be — without shame or judgment — and learn to repair the inevitable ruptures that are a normal part of family life.

Caught in the Middle: Real Support for the Demands, Grief, and Shifts of Midlife

Midlife has a way of arriving all at once. You may be managing the needs of aging parents while still raising older children, facing retirement or career shifts, navigating perimenopause and menopause, or watching your kids leave home and wondering what comes next. The roles that once defined you are changing, and with that can come a deep sense of loss, exhaustion, or purposelessness.

Karen has a particular passion for this work because she’s lived it. Having experienced her own journey with burnout, she brings both clinical skill and honest, lived-in empathy. She helps clients find clarity when everything feels heavy — exploring questions of identity, meaning, and what a fulfilling next chapter can look like. If you’re searching for a therapist who understands the weight of carrying too many roles at once, Karen is someone who truly gets it.

Making Peace With the Unpredictable: Reclaiming Your Life from Illness and Health Uncertainty

A new health diagnosis can shake the foundation of your life. Whether you’re adapting to a cancer diagnosis, managing a chronic illness, coping with a loss of functioning, or living with the constant uncertainty that health anxiety brings, Karen understands. As a cancer survivor herself, she knows the fear, the grief, and the challenge of navigating a complex medical system while trying to hold onto your sense of self.

Her approach goes beyond coping strategies. Karen helps clients build resilience, manage spiralling worry, and reconnect with what matters most — even in the face of uncertainty. If you’re looking for support with medical anxiety, adjustment to illness, or finding meaning after a life-altering diagnosis, she offers a grounded, compassionate space to do that work.

Personal Background

Outside the therapy room, Karen finds joy in the simple things. You’ll often find her walking her rescue dog Wesley, cycling the trails around Guelph, or paddle boarding on Guelph Lake. She loves to travel, learn about new cultures, and cherishes time with her husband and two adult sons — especially when it involves cooking and sharing a meal together.

Email: karen.johnson-carere@mylifecounselling.ca
Phone: 1-800-828-9484 (ext. 110)