Karen Cromwell
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Hi, my name is Karen Cromwell and I am a qualified counsellor with 30 years experience, including 13 years in the NHS in GP practice. I am a registered member of the BACP. I also offer counselling with Hope House Children's Hospice and at times, help to co-facilitate a bereaved parents group.
During my 4-year training, I studied a variety of therapeutic approaches, including person-centred, CBT and solution-focused; which enables me to work in the best way for you, depending on your goals.
People often come to counselling feeling overwhelmed or anxious, they might be struggling with certain relationships, or find that they feel low and depressed & don't really understand why. Counselling can help you learn specific ways of dealing with these challenges, and it can develop your self-awareness and strategies for handling whatever life brings.
As your counsellor, I am committed to offering you support, honesty and respect; in a safe, confidential environment, and within that atmosphere, you have the opportunity to talk and be heard. I also have a strong commitment to my own ongoing personal development, and I am enthusiastic about sharing my experience and understanding with kindness and without judgment.
I have a particular interest in helping clients understand the connection between the body and the mind, and I am passionate about supporting people in the practical application of stress management skills.
With a warm and very personal approach, my intent is to help you see where you have choices in your life, and to help you develop the inner resources to deal with any problems or feelings, whatever the cause.
Training, qualifications & experience
About me
I completed a 4-year Advanced Counselling Diploma with the College of Holistic Medicine in Glasgow. I enrolled on this course initially to find out more about myself and to understand some of the challenges I faced in my life. I never intended to be a counsellor, but somewhere along the way I fell in love with this voyage of discovery; this growing awareness that helps me to make sense of my life, and live more authentically. I feel passionate about sharing everything I've learnt and I feel very grateful to have work that I love.
I had already completed a year-long course in deep tissue Therapeutic Massage and I had experienced with my massage clients how much trauma and stress people hold in their bodies. As a result of this growing awareness, I felt I needed to understand more about how to help people overcome their emotional difficulties, which would often result in physical symptoms. One of my specialities now is teaching my clients about the connection between the mind and the body. I can show you strategies to increase your self-awareness in this respect, and you can learn how to process stress, tension and trauma held within the body, including how to switch off the stress response.
How I work
The first session is an opportunity to find out what you need and to see if you feel comfortable talking to me. If you decide to continue, we can explore your reasons for coming, and perhaps identify some goals which helps to set the focus for our time together.
Member organisations
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£55.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
- Please feel free to call me for an initial short phone call at no cost, to find out more about who I am and how I work.
- Counselling sessions last one hour and cost £55.
- In cases of financial hardship, reduced rates are available if necessary.
When I work
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These are my regular hours, but I do have some flexibility.
Further information
I offer counselling in 3 different ways:
- Face to face in 2 locations in Shrewsbury
- Online
- Outdoors in nature - walk and talk (weather permitting)
Feedback from a recent counselling client:
"From the moment we met, I knew I was in safe hands. Karen held me through my darkest days, guided me through my healing journey, and rejoiced in my growth. We've built one of the strongest relationships I have in my life; I know she wants the very best for me, I've never felt judged, and I can finally be my true self. I will be grateful for Karen's kind and loving presence in my life forever." JR Shrewsbury
