Karen Allington

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Psychoanalytic & Psychodynamic Psychotherapist MBACP Accred
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

location_on Southampton SO14 & Alresford SO24
Accepting new clients
Accepting new clients

This professional is available for new clients.

About me

Welcome, are you seeking a safe, confidential space to explore your difficulties? 

I am a highly qualified and experienced Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychotherapist working with individuals from aged 18+ with over a decade of experience helping people in emotional distress.

Since 2014 I've worked in private practice with a wide range of individuals from early 20s to mid 80s struggling with a wide variety of difficulties, including depression, anxiety, loss, life transitions, eating disorders, relationship difficulties, problems at work, bereavement, feeling stuck/lost in life, divorce, adjusting to change, family conflicts, sexuality, illness, transgender, pregnancy issues.

If your troubles are getting in the way of you enjoying your life, causing unhappiness, it may be time to consider Psychotherapy. I offer two types of therapy - either Psychodynamic or Psychoanalytic. Both aim for more than just the relief of symptoms but for profound and long-lasting change.

Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic therapy is a process which helps bring some understanding and meaning to your problems by increasing your consciousness of what may be going on outside of your awareness which is having a powerful influence over your life, including relationships. Over time, the therapeutic process sheds light on recurring patterns of behaviour leading to the opportunity to change deep-seated emotional and relationship problems, thereby reducing symptoms and alleviating distress. Psychotherapy enables you to get to know yourself in a deep and meaningful way.

By working with me, I can help support you come to terms with issues in your life and enable you to let go of unhelpful ways of viewing the world and your place in it, shaping new ways to navigate the world. You may find it a relief to share thoughts and feelings which you may not have felt able to talk about before. Working together with me, Psychotherapy can help you think more clearly, enabling you to gain greater agency, helping you to make decisions based on thinking rather than finding yourself merely reacting to situations, being pulled this way and that. 

Depending on your needs we can meet for regular weekly sessions or develop a plan for more intensive help involving up to three sessions per week.

People seek therapy at different times in their lives for all sorts of reasons. It is a strength to be able to ask for some help when you are struggling. Sharing your concerns with a trusted listener may help you feel less alone. 

To start with, we can arrange an initial consultation. This is an opportunity for us to meet and see if we feel we could work together. It gives you space to talk about your difficulties in confidence in a non-judgemental environment. In this meeting we can consider if psychotherapy may feel right for you at this time.  There is no obligation to continue with therapy but if we decide my type of therapy might be helpful for you,  we can arrange regular weekly sessions. 

I work from peaceful rooms which provide a safe, confidential space in which we can work together, at your own pace, on whatever you choose to bring.

I look forward to meeting you.

Training, qualifications & experience

  • Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist for Adults qualified by the British Psychotherapy Foundation in London, accredited by the British Psychoanalytic Council. (2017-2024)
  • BACP Accredited Psychodynamic Psychotherapist (2020)
  • Certificate in Infant Observation with the British Psychotherapy Foundation in London (2018)
  • HE Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling (BACP Accredited Course). University of Surrey. (2014)

Member organisations

school Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.

Accredited register membership

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Fees

£65.00 - £75.00

Additional information

Initial Consultation: £70

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

Monday - Friday.

Further information

I am an Accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy MBACP (Accred) and I abide by their code of ethics.

Southampton, Hampshire, SO14

Alresford, Hampshire, SO24

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Young adults (18-24)
Adults (25-64)
Older Adults (65+)

Key details

DBS check info

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Online platforms

Zoom

Supervision

In person
Online

I am a qualified by the British Psychotherapy Foundation London as a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist for adults.

View supervision profile

Karen Allington
Karen Allington