007 When Blindness isn't Loss with Karen Rose LMFT

Licensed psychotherapist and career coach Karen Rose (LMFT LPCC), who was born totally blind, shares her perspective on living as a whole person rather than someone missing something, and how she built a thriving practice despite facing significant employment barriers. At 73, Karen continues working six and a half days a week, using the creative problem-solving skills she developed navigating a world not designed for her to help others think outside the box in their careers and lives. She recounts accidentally stumbling into the historic 1977 Section 504 sit-in that secured the first civil rights protections for people with disabilities, and discusses how technology has transformed independence for blind individuals. Karen challenges the notion of lowered expectations and advocates for shifting from asking "Can I do this?" to "How am I going to get this done?" She also shares her journey through decades of advocacy work, the realities of building a private practice, and her approach to helping clients achieve post-traumatic growth.

Topics covered: blindness from birth, retinopathy of prematurity, disability rights advocacy, Section 504 sit-in, career coaching, psychotherapy practice, lowered expectations, problem-solving strategies, assistive technology, employment barriers, post-traumatic growth, disability identity, civil rights history.

Karen can be reached at [email protected] and at her website www.career-therapy.net.

ABOUT THE PODCAST

inSight Out is your podcast home for living well with vision loss. Host Matthew Reeves (LPC CRC NCC) is a legally-blind psychotherapist and rehabilitation counselor specializing in helping people thrive while living with disability. Matthew is licensed in Georgia and is a nationally certified rehabilitation counselor.

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