PsiAN Speaks: Karen Foley
Editor’s note: The Forum will periodically post video interviews of authors, researchers, academics, and policymakers under the heading PsiAN Speaks. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect PsiAN’s official positions.
In this video, Natasha Reynolds, Psy.D. has a conversation with Karen Foley, MBA, who is a steering committee member at PsiAN, as well as the president and CEO of the Juvenile Protective Association (JPA), an organization in Chicago, Illinois whose mission is to improve the social and emotional well-being and functioning of vulnerable children through research, consultation, and counseling. In this conversation, Karen shares the importance of building and nurturing relationships in the community, at home, and in classrooms to help vulnerable children feel and function better, as well as some of the deleterious effects of toxic stress on child development, and problems related to mislabeling children’s behaviors that often miss the story behind the “symptom.” She also explores differences in types of psychotherapies available, and discusses how finding a good therapeutic ‘fit’ is critical for effectiveness for an individual in treatment.
Karen Foley, MBA is the president and CEO of the Juvenile Protective Association (JPA). JPA provides therapeutic counseling services, conducts research, shares knowledge, and provides expert consultation and guidance to others serving children and families in the community. Previously, she served as the CEO of the Hope Institute and as the president of Chicago Scholars, a premier college-to-career mentoring program reaching high potential students from every public, private and parochial high school in Chicago. Her corporate experience includes serving as the Executive Vice President and head of global marketing for CNA Insurance Companies. Karen earned her MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and her undergraduate degree from Hamilton College.
Natasha Reynolds Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist practicing in Chicago, Illinois. Alongside her private practice, she supervises and teaches as Clinical Associate Faculty at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis (CCP), is an assistant professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and leads a psychoanalytic consultation and reading group for psychotherapists working across China.