Meet Karen Digby Dripps
With a B.A. in Clinical Child Psychology and a Master of Science in Public Health, Karen Digby Dripps is a relational health educator, consultant, speaker, and author with more than 12 years of experience in prevention education, violence prevention, and relationship health.
Karen is the creator of the nationally recognized prevention and relationship‑enrichment program Be Smart. Guard Your Heart., which equips youth and young adults with the skills to form healthy relationships, recognize concerning dynamics early, and make informed, values‑aligned choices. Her work has reached thousands of students through classrooms, assemblies, universities, and community programs.
Writing under the pen name Addison, Karen is the author of Lizzy Lives in an Angry House, a children’s self‑help book designed to help young readers understand life in emotionally unsafe environments. The book offers language, empathy, and practical tools to help children—and the adults who support them—recognize destructive patterns and begin breaking cycles that often remain hidden or unaddressed.
Karen’s expertise extends beyond academic training. Her work is informed by lived experience, professional practice, and years of advanced training in relational harm, trauma‑informed education, and prevention‑focused intervention. This combination allows her to approach sensitive topics with both credibility and compassion, while remaining grounded in accountability, clarity, and hope for change.
Today, Karen works with churches, schools, businesses, and organizations to help leaders and communities understand relational health, prevent harm, respond wisely when challenges arise, and establish pathways for accountability and healing—for individuals, families, and organizational cultures.
Karen is married and the mother of three adult children, and a grandmother to two. She continues to be driven by a belief that healthier relationships are possible when people are equipped with the right tools, support, and understanding.
Join the thousands who have implemented Karen’s teachings and taken steps toward lives marked by hope, authenticity, and healthy relationships.