Family Enhancement & Play Therapy Center

Karen Pernet received her MSS in clinical social work from Bryn Mawr College in 1986. She then completed the three year training program of The Gestalt Therapy Institute of Philadelphia in 1989 and has had specialized training in sandtray, play therapy and psychotherapy with children and adolescents. She is a Board Certified Diplomate, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in CA and PA and a Registered Play Therapy-Supervisor. Her training for the latter included ongoing training and supervision in Filial Therapy with Rise Van Fleet, a three year internship in combined family and Child Centered Play Therapy, an intensive training with Violet Oaklander in Gestalt Therapy with children and Sandtray-Worldplay training with Gisela DeDomenico.

Her career has included over 20 years experience as a therapist of individuals, couples, children/ adolescents and families, school counseling. Additionally she has provided group treatment of child, adolescent and adult survivors of sexual abuse.

She uses Filial Therapy in her practice with a wide variety of families ranging from those with adjustment problems to foster and adopted children and their families to families who are reunifying. She also provides individual clinical consultation and is an experienced trainer. She is trained in several body/mind modalities: hypnosis, EMDR and is currently an advanced student of Somatic Experiencing, “ a naturalistic, short-term approach to the resolution and healing from trauma developed by Peter Levine.” In addition she has had another 15 years experience as a social worker and supervisor in the field of child welfare and child sexual abuse.

Karen Pernet is the co-founder of a private group practice, Cresheim Valley Psych Associates. She has also provided treatment to children who have been sexually abused. She has been a consultant to Children’s Crisis Treatment Center in Philadelphia and co-led Filial Program Groups for child abuse prevention and reunifying families where there has been abuse or neglect–funded through the Philadelphia Department of Human Services, the Parenting Collaborative. She ran therapy groups with the Philadelphia Sexual Abuse Project from 1988 to 1997 and has worked as a clinician with family service agencies, with an EAP, and with a group practice.

She relocated to San Francisco, California in 2006. She may be contacted by e-mail kepernet@yahoo.com or phone 510-923-0520.