About me
Hello, I’m Karen.
Have you spent so long putting other people first that you’ve lost touch with what you need yourself? Perhaps you overthink conversations, doubt your own judgement, find it difficult to say no or worry about upsetting others.
You might appear to be coping on the outside, while inside you feel anxious, overwhelmed or unsure of yourself.
Perhaps you’ve come through a difficult relationship, including one where you felt controlled, criticised or emotionally undermined. Even when a relationship has ended, its effects can linger.
You may find yourself questioning your memories, struggling to trust your decisions or wondering why you still feel affected by what happened.
Sometimes these patterns have roots much further back. You may have learned early in life to keep the peace, look after others or hide your own feelings. These ways of coping may once have helped you, but now leave you feeling disconnected from yourself.
You don’t have to keep feeling this way, and you don’t have to work everything out alone.
I offer a calm, compassionate and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly and begin to make sense of what you’re experiencing. You don’t need to know exactly where to begin, and you don’t need to have all the answers.
Together, we can gently explore the experiences and relationships that may have shaped how you see yourself and relate to others. There’s no pressure to blame the past or to change everything at once. Instead, we can work towards helping you understand your feelings, recognise patterns that no longer serve you, rebuild trust in yourself and find a stronger sense of who you are.
My approach is collaborative and led by you. We work at a pace that feels manageable, making room for both talking and noticing what may be happening emotionally and physically. Your experiences will be met with care, curiosity and respect.
I offer face-to-face counselling from my private counselling room in Potton, Bedfordshire, as well as online and by telephone.
If something here feels familiar, you’re welcome to get in touch. We can talk about what has brought you to counselling and whether working together might feel right for you.
My Approach
I'm a qualified Integrative Counsellor and an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Accred). I also hold a CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Somatic Trauma Therapy.
I offer a warm, thoughtful and collaborative approach to counselling, drawing on person-centred, psychodynamic and somatic ways of working. This means we can explore not only what is happening in your life now, but also whether past experiences and relationships may be influencing how you feel about yourself and relate to others.
You may understand logically that you have nothing to feel guilty about, for example, yet still find yourself doubting your decisions, worrying about other people's reactions or feeling responsible for keeping everyone happy. We can gently explore these patterns and what might be keeping them in place, without judgement or pressure to change before you're ready.
My somatic training also informs my work. Difficult experiences can affect how we feel in our bodies as well as in our thoughts and emotions. If it feels helpful, we can gently notice these responses together, at a pace that respects your comfort and boundaries.
I have a particular interest in anxiety and overthinking, people-pleasing, boundaries, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem, emotional overwhelm and the lasting effects of childhood experiences and trauma.
You are the expert in your own life. My role is to offer a safe, supportive space where you can feel heard, make sense of your experiences and gradually develop greater self-understanding, confidence and trust in yourself.
Training, qualifications & experience
Certificate in working therapeutically with Autistic Clients CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Somatic Trauma Therapy
CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
CPCAB Level 3 Counselling Studies
CPCAB Level 2 Counselling Skills
BACP Introduction to Counselling Young People
Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Accred)
Enhanced DBS for Adults and Children
Additional CPD includes:
- Narcissistic Relationships, Emotional Abuse & Gaslighting
- Working with Suicide and Self-Harm
- Trauma and the Body: Dissociation and Somatisation
- Child sexual abuse - hope for healing
I also engage in ongoing professional supervision and continuing professional development to support safe, ethical, and up-to-date practice.
Member organisations
school 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 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
£55.00 per session
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Sessions are payable 24 hours in advance by bank transfer.
When I work
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