About me
Counselling for anxiety, stress, self confidence and life changes
Do you feel overwhelmed, anxious or like you’ve lost your sense of direction?
Perhaps you’re going through a difficult period in your life, struggling with your confidence, experiencing relationship difficulties, or simply feeling that things have become too much to manage on your own.
You don’t have to work it all out by yourself.
I’m Karen Kernohan, an MBACP Accredited Integrative Counsellor, and I provide a warm, confidential and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly, feel heard and begin to understand what is happening for you.
How I can help
I support adults experiencing a wide range of emotional and personal difficulties, including:
Anxiety • Stress • Feeling overwhelmed • Low mood • Depression • Low self-esteem • Confidence • Relationship difficulties • Bereavement • Trauma • Work-related stress • Life changes • Separation and divorce • Perfectionism • Health-related concerns
Sometimes you may know exactly what is troubling you. At other times, you may simply know that you don’t feel like yourself anymore.
Either is a perfectly valid reason to seek counselling.
My approach
I am an Integrative Counsellor, which means I draw from different therapeutic approaches depending on you, your circumstances and what you need from counselling.
My work incorporates person-centred, cognitive behavioural (CBT) and psychodynamic approaches.
This means that, where appropriate, we can look at practical strategies to help you manage difficult thoughts and feelings, explore patterns that may be affecting your life today, and develop a deeper understanding of how previous experiences may have shaped the way you think, feel and relate to others.
There is no expectation that you should fit into a particular therapeutic model.
The counselling is shaped around you.
A safe space to talk
Taking the first step towards counselling can feel daunting. You may be wondering what you will say, whether your problems are “serious enough”, or whether counselling can really help.
You don’t need to have the answers before you begin.
My role is to listen without judgement, help you make sense of what you’re experiencing and support you in finding a way forward that feels right for you.
I believe that being genuinely listened to and understood can be incredibly powerful.
Together, we can explore what is happening in your life, identify what you would like to change and work at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
Counselling in Ballymena and online
I offer face-to-face counselling in Ballymena, as well as online and telephone counselling, providing flexibility depending on your circumstances and preferences.
Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, feeling overwhelmed, experiencing a difficult relationship or life transition, or simply feel that something needs to change, counselling can give you the space to stop, reflect and begin moving forward.
If you’re considering counselling, please get in touch.
You don’t need to know exactly what you want to talk about. We can start with where you are now.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a fully qualified integrative therapist, so I blend a range of approaches (person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic) to offer therapy that helps to get the best results for you. I have a degree in Social Psychology and Sociology and have twenty years of experience supporting people in the community and voluntary sector with a wide range of needs.
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
Photos & videos
Fees
£55.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
When I work
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Further information
Client testimonials
“Starting counselling was the best thing I ever did. Karen was amazing- she made me feel so comfortable and safe in every session and genuinely listened and cared about things I shared, while staying completely professional. I started really looking forward to our sessions each week as I knew I’d get so much from them. Karen helped me through so much and has given me strategies and coping mechanisms that I can take with me and use to help me with certain situations. I would highly recommend Karen and am so glad I discovered her.”
“Karen provided a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental environment where I felt comfortable discussing my thoughts, feelings, and challenges following the death of my Dad. She listened, demonstrated empathy, and encouraged me to explore my emotions in greater depth using thoughtful questions and reflective techniques. Following six sessions I felt I understood myself more clearly and left with ‘tools’ to help me when similar scenarios arose in the future.”
“I can’t thank Karen enough for all the support and guidance she gave me. From the very first session, she was incredibly kind, caring, understanding, and compassionate. She always made me feel listened to and never judged, creating a safe and comfortable space where I could be completely open and honest.”
