Dr. Karen Brewer-Mixon earned her PhD in clinical psychology and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at UT Southwestern. She worked in private practice for eight years after completing postdoctoral training, then returned to UTSW in 2005 as a full-time faculty member. She served in the Department of Psychiatry for nine years, then was recruited to the Rehabilitation Counseling Department in the School of Health Professions, where she served as Program Coordinator.

In 2020, Dr. Brewer-Mixon became Associate Director for the PhD program in the Department of Applied Clinical Research. In 2023, she was named Program Director of that program. In addition to her administrative duties, she maintains a small neuropsychology practice, teaches, supervises a psychotherapy elective for psychiatry residents, does clinical research, leads departmental and university committees, and serves on committees in national and international professional organizations.  

As a researcher, Dr. Brewer-Mixon has received several small grants supporting her clinical outcomes research, most recently in the areas of Parkinson’s disease and Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). She also leads the multidisciplinary UTSW FND Research Working Group.

As a clinician, Dr. Brewer-Mixon has significant experience in evaluating and treating patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders and specializes in treating patients with FND. She is also a founding member of the UTSW FND Multidisciplinary Group and leads a clinician peer supervision group at UTSW for mental health providers treating FND patients.