Karen provides massage therapy services to children and pregnant women at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (independent contractor) on Mondays. She is also working on a research project to examine changes in pain and anxiety in children after cardiac surgery. Karen has been a nationally certified massage therapist since 1999 after she graduated from the Institute for Therapeutic Massage and Wellness in Davenport, Iowa. She also taught massage theory and research, trigger point therapy, aromatherapy, and reiki at this school until 2006.