Karen O'Hara-Lowe

Hello, are you seeking a therapist who will listen and support you in dealing with issues such as anxiety, depression, addictive behaviour, trauma, OCD or relationship issues, I am an experienced, accredited psychotherapist working with clients since 1989 in both a long and short term capacity. I offer a safe, confidential, non-judgemental space, in a beautiful, peaceful therapy room in my garden in Chalford. I offer support to clients experiencing difficulty in their lives, providing space, and encouragement, to help look at and explore difficult events and feelings, and come to terms with them. I also endeavour to help clients to experiment with their way of being in the world, trying new things, and letting go of old patterns.

I see the therapy process is a meeting of equals, and welcome the diversity of my clients, and all that difference has to teach me. I believe fundamentally in the self healing capacity of human beings; that given the right conditions and enough support we will grow and develop to our greatest potential.

My training was at The Chiron Centre for Bodypsychotherapy in London, and I take a flexible approach to the therapy process, working out, together with the client, which style or techniques work best for them. I work in a range of ways; with Talking, Gestalt, Dreamwork, Visualisation, Hands-on Bodywork, Massage, Body awareness, Transference, and also with the relationship between myself and the client, using that relationship as one way of seeing how the client operates in relationships.

Due to my training as a bodypsychotherapist, when I am with clients, I will be thinking about how the client is in their body, and how their story has become embodied. Thus I see physical symptoms of dis-ease as of particular relevance to the therapy, and indicative of how the clients whole system has dealt with his or her life experience. My experience is that working on the emotional level can have a hugely beneficial effect on what is happening to clients physically.

About myself; I have always been drawn to "what makes people tick", but became more expressly interested in psychotherapy through experiencing difficulties myself. I have worked with both children and adults on the autistic spectrum, and have also worked with ex. long-term psychiatric patients. I was attracted to a Bodypsychotherapy course because I felt, and still feel, that it is impossible to separate out the mind from the body in psychotherapy, for me, the whole thing comes together. This opinion is currently being reinforced by the recent discoveries in neuroscience outlining the many feedback loops interlinking body and mind.

I also offer supervision, and have completed the CSTD training in supervision.

I offer EMDR.

I have lived in the Stroud area for over 30 years, and still find the beauty of the area breathtaking, I have a great love of animals and spend my time when not working caring for a collection of them. I am also married, and have two children.

If you would like any further information about me, or the way I work, or to book an appointment, do get in touch.

I do offer some low cost places.

I have particular interests in Eating Disorders, Addictive behaviour, OCD type behaviour, and Trauma.