Karen Lee Fontaine received her bachelor's degree from Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, a nursing degree from Luthern Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, and her master's degree in psychiatric nursing from Rush University, Chicago, Illinois. Karen is currently a Professor of Nursing at Purdue University Calumet, where she has been teaching for 20 years. She is also a certified sex therapist and maintains a private practice counseling individuals and couples.
Karen's publishing awards include the AJN Book of the Year Award 2000 for her text entitled Healing Practices: Alternative Therapies for Nursing, Prentice Hall, and the Annual Nursing Book Review, Sigma Theta Tau 2000 for Mental Health Nursing 4e, Addison Wesley. Karen's distinguishing academic honors include the Luther Christman Excellence in Published Writing Award, Gamma Phi Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, in 1997 and Distinguished Lecturer 1994-1995 from Sigma Theta Tau, International.
Karen is a frequent presenter at national and regional seminars covering psychiatric-mental health nursing practice, alternative therapies, sexuality, and sex therapy. She is a member of several professional associations, which include the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), and the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. Karen has also served on the Editorial Advisory Board for the Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy since 2000.
Karen lives on a sand dune in Miller Beach with her soul mate, Al, and their Greater Swiss Mountain dog, Whitney. She has three children, jean-Marc, Simone and Marcel, and three grandchildren, Danielle, Christopher, and Jaycee. Karen enjoys spending time with her family, art, reading, walking on the beach, and throwing "Goddess" parties with her friends.