Karen Hopkins

You may be feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, stuck in patterns that keep repeating, or struggling with the lasting effects of difficult experiences or relationships. Perhaps you've noticed that childhood experiences continue to shape how you feel about yourself or how you relate to others, even years later.

Therapy offers a space to understand these patterns with curiosity rather than judgement. Together we can explore not only what is happening in your life now, but also how your past experiences, relationships and early attachments may continue to influence the present. Understanding where these patterns come from is important, but lasting change happens in the here and now.

I am an integrative psychotherapist and EMDR practitioner working online and from consulting rooms in Central and South East London. I work with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem and the long-term effects of childhood adversity. Depending on your needs, I offer both short-term therapy for specific difficulties and longer-term psychotherapy where deeper patterns can be explored.

My approach

No two people experience trauma in the same way, so I believe therapy should never be one-size-fits-all. My work is grounded in attachment theory and informed by an understanding of how early relationships shape emotional wellbeing throughout life.

Many people come to therapy because they feel "stuck" without fully understanding why. They may find themselves repeatedly entering difficult relationships, struggling with overwhelming emotions, feeling disconnected from themselves, or constantly anticipating danger even when life appears safe.

Recovery isn't about changing who you are. It's about understanding how your experiences have shaped you, developing healthier ways of coping, and reconnecting with the parts of yourself that may have been lost through adversity.

Where appropriate, we may also use EMDR to help process traumatic memories and reduce their emotional impact. Before beginning any trauma processing, we work carefully to build safety, stability and resources so that therapy progresses at a pace that feels manageable.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that helps the brain process distressing memories so they no longer feel as emotionally overwhelming.

EMDR is widely used to treat PTSD and complex trauma, but it can also be helpful for anxiety, attachment wounds, distressing life experiences and deeply held negative beliefs about ourselves.

Alongside standard EMDR, I have completed specialist training in Attachment-Informed EMDR (AI-EMDR), which adapts the model for people whose current difficulties stem from early developmental or attachment trauma.

What brings people to therapy?

People seek therapy for many different reasons. You may recognise some of the following:

• Anxiety or panic
• Depression or persistent low mood
• Childhood trauma or neglect
• Complex PTSD
• Difficult or abusive relationships
• Low self-esteem or shame
• Feeling emotionally overwhelmed or disconnected
• Dissociation
• Relationship or intimacy difficulties
• Narcissistic abuse
• Personality difficulties

Often these experiences are connected by an underlying pattern rather than existing in isolation. Therapy can help make sense of these connections and create new ways of relating to yourself and others.

The first session

The first session is an opportunity for us to meet and think together about what has brought you to therapy. I'll ask questions to understand your history, current difficulties and what you hope to gain from our work, while also giving you space to decide whether I feel like the right therapist for you.

If we decide to work together, sessions are 50 minutes and usually take place weekly.

Sessions are available online via Zoom or Bilateral Base, as well as in person in Central and South East London.

I am also a recognised provider for Aetna (AGB).