Karen Ben
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
A warm welcome. I’m Karen, an Integrative Therapeutic Counsellor who understands that life can be challenging and that it often takes courage to ask for help. I offer an empathic, confidential and non-judgemental space for us to explore together the difficulties you are facing.
As the client, you are the heart of our work and the expert in your life. My role is to help you explore your thoughts and feelings to help you gain a better understanding of yourself and your situation and so move forward.
My Private Practice focuses on supporting people with a range of issues, both long and short-term, including bereavement and loss, loss through suicide, family estrangement, general anxiety and depression, work anxiety, loneliness and isolation, general work and life stress, family and relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, self-criticism and feelings of shame and regret.
My work as a Counsellor with The Road Victims Trust involves supporting victims and their families of fatal and serious road traffic collisions including drivers, witnesses and bereaved relatives, and my work has included accompanying clients through criminal trials in Court and inquests. I also worked with Rennie Grove Hospice Care supporting people with life-limiting conditions, health challenges, carers and bereaved relatives.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am BACP accredited and have a level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling. My integrative training means I am able to draw on my knowledge of various counselling approaches such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - understanding the link between your thoughts, feelings and emotions), Humanistic (focussing on your potential, strengths and self-discovery), and Psychodynamic (exploring how reactions to present day circumstances may be influenced by past events), enabling me to adapt our work to best fit your individual needs.
Suffering grief and loss can be overwhelming and confusing. My work in this area focusses on there being no right or wrong way to feel as it is a unique experience, and that it affects everyone differently. I can help you work through your feelings, and support you in adapting to a life that is very different without your loved one.
I also have an interest in Compassion Focussed Therapy, an approach I find very useful when supporting people from neglectful, critical or bullying backgrounds, which can result in feelings of high levels of shame and self-criticism. This approach focusses on encouraging self-compassion which can help alleviate anxiety and negative self-talk and promote self-acceptance.
Member organisations
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 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
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.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£45.00 - £50.00
Free initial telephone or online session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Finding the right counsellor is very important, which is why I offer an initial free 30 minute phone or online consultation with no obligation to proceed further. Here I can answer any initial questions you may have about counselling, explain how I can support you and how we would work together if you wish to proceed. If we decide to go ahead I will explain more about our first assessment session and what this would involve.
I offer long-term and short-term weekly sessions. These currently take place face-to-face (with covid measures in place), online or by telephone.
When I work
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Further information
I am also able to offer walk-and-talk therapy during daylight hours having completed training in this area. It is an alternative to working in a traditional therapy room and we would literally walk and talk outdoors in the natural environment. This is subject to it being appropriate for you, and would be discussed properly during the initial assessment session.
