Karin Bleecker

Karin brings a lifetime of experience as a psychologist to her role as Program Director of New Life Portugal. She specialises in leading, supervising and mentoring clinical teams, and in program design and implementation. Before taking up her position in Portugal, Karin was the Program Director and Clinical Supervisor at New Life Thailand. She is excited to bring all the lessons learned from that experience to the Portugal project, while also carefully preserving the effective core components of our New Life model: engaged community living, compassionate emotional support, and a contemplative culture. 

Karin is trained in many mindfulness-based modalities, including mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness-based addiction recovery (MBAR) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). She has an extensive background in couples therapy, including emotion-focused therapy (EFT), discernment counselling, and the Gottman and Bader approaches to couples’ work. Other professional specialisations include trauma treatment, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), internal family systems, structural family therapy, and a range of assessment techniques. 

Prior to her work at New Life, Karin gained decades of experience as a counsellor, social worker, clinical supervisor, clinical consultant, and mindfulness instructor at various mental health organisations and hospitals in Vermont and Pennsylvania. She also held the position of adjunct professor of psychology at Alvernia University, where she developed and taught courses on personality theory and group dynamics. 

Karin’s high energy and passion for our integrative approach at New Life is infectious and she is known for inspiring compassionate, high-quality care in those whom she leads. Mindfulness practice is a key component of all the roles she serves in. As Karin says, ‘It affects how I show up, my ability to listen, to be flexible, and see more clearly.’ 

Karin’s greatest joys include spending time with her family, just about anything outdoors (especially kayaking), hiking, yoga, and dancing, and painting and creative arts. She loves watching those whom she is mentoring develop their gifts. She is also passionate about studying and integrating contemplative practices in psychotherapy, medicine, and life.

Training and Qualifications:

Course: Mindful Self-Compassion (2020)

Centre for Mindful Self-Compassion/Omega Institute, USA

Certified Clinical Supervisor (2013)

Centre for Family-Based Training, USA 

Advanced Teacher Training, MBSR (2005)

Centre for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts, USA  

Master of Clinical Psychology (1987)

Millersville University, USA

Psychologist License No. 047.0097608 (Vermont)

Psychologist License No. PS007210-L (Pennsylvania)

Volunteer work: 

Co-creator of a healing circle for those with a terminal diagnosis in Brattleboro, Vermont. Supported veterans and their spouses with PTSD through the organisation ‘The Warrior Connection.’