Karen Shugart completed her graduate training as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining Piedmont Psychiatric Associates, she was an advanced practice provider and psychiatric nurse in emergency and inpatient settings at Piedmont Triad-area hospitals.

Karen collaborates with Dr. Marshall and other clinicians to help clients achieve goals through psychiatric evaluation and medication management. She recognizes the importance of compassionate, therapeutic rapport and strives to create a welcoming environment for adult clients of diverse backgrounds. She enjoys working with people experiencing mood disorders, anxiety, thought disorders, OCD and PTSD. 

A Yadkin County native, Karen was inspired to pursue a career in mental health after volunteering at a crisis hotline. Prior to earning a bachelor's degree in nursing from Winston-Salem State University, she obtained a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's degree in literature from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. 

Karen is board certified by the Amercian Nurses Credentialing Center. She is a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses, and the Neuroscience Education Institute. 

She sees patients in our Clemmons and Kernersville offices.