Karen Fried, PsyD, MFT
Karen Fried, PsyD, MFT, is a psychotherapist and one of today’s leading trainers in the Oaklander Model of Gestalt Play Therapy. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and educational therapist based in California, where she maintains a thriving practice working with children, adolescents, families, and adults. A founding member and past president of the Violet Solomon Oaklander Foundation, Dr. Fried plays a central role in preserving, advancing, and teaching the seminal work of her longtime mentor, Violet Oaklander, PhD – pioneer of Gestalt play therapy.
A sought-after international trainer, Dr. Fried has taught the Oaklander Model to therapists across the US, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and more. She is known for her engaging, experiential teaching style and her ability to translate Gestalt theory into highly practical interventions that clinicians can use immediately. Since 2020, she has trained global audiences through large scale virtual programs, including monthly international consultation calls attended by practitioners from more than 30 countries.
Dr. Fried is also a prolific creator of innovative digital play therapy tools, including online Sandtray platforms, virtual projective cards, online puppets, dollhouse environments, and expressive drawing tools – resources now used worldwide by clinicians practicing tele play therapy.
She is the co-author of several influential books, including Healing Through Play Using the Oaklander Model (Parts I & II), Windows to Our Practice, and Playful Parenting: Building Secure Attachment & Resilience, as well as numerous articles that help clinicians integrate expressive media with Gestalt-based emotional work.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Karen Fried is the Co-director of The K & M Center, Inc. and maintains a private practice. She receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Karen Fried is a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
