Karen MacKey

I am a BACP Accredited Counsellor and trained Couples Counsellor, with many years' experience working with individuals and couples across a wide range of difficulties. My work includes anxiety, stress, relationships, confidence, boundaries, life changes, loss and feeling stuck. I also have particular experience supporting neurodivergent adults, including people with ADHD and ASD.

If you have been struggling with the same difficulties for some time and don't seem to be getting anywhere, talking to someone outside your usual circles can help. Counselling gives you space to step back, make sense of what is happening and consider what you want to change. You will be listened to without judgement and supported to reach your own decisions rather than being told what you should do.

I aim to offer a calm, unhurried and friendly environment where you can feel comfortable being yourself. I work collaboratively, listening carefully to your experience and adapting my approach to what is most helpful for you. Your history, values and way of understanding the world matter; counselling needs to make sense to you.

I have volunteered with Catalyst, a drug, alcohol and wellbeing support agency, and currently volunteer with RASASC supporting people affected by sexual abuse. These experiences have broadened my understanding of the different circumstances and experiences that can bring someone to counselling.

Neurodiversity
Feeling understood and accepted is particularly important when working with neurodivergent clients. ADHD and ASD can affect how we experience relationships, emotions, communication, expectations and everyday life. I take a neuro-affirming approach, recognising that you are not a problem to be fixed. Instead, we can explore what is difficult for you, what has and hasn't worked in the past, and what might help you move forward in a way that fits who you are.

Individual Counselling
Many difficulties become harder to manage when we are dealing with them alone. Sometimes family and friends, despite their best intentions, can add to the pressure because they are too close to the situation. Counselling offers a different kind of relationship: a confidential space where you can talk openly and explore things from another perspective.

We might explore thoughts, feelings or situations that are distressing you, look at patterns that have developed over time, and consider whether ways of coping that once helped you are now making things harder. The aim is not simply to understand the past, but to help you find possibilities for doing things differently.

Where relationship difficulties are part of what brings you to counselling, we can explore communication, boundaries and the patterns that develop between people. However, if your main aim is to work on your relationship with your partner, I strongly recommend Couples Counselling rather than attending individually.

Couples Counselling
Relationships can become caught in familiar patterns of misunderstanding, conflict, withdrawal or frustration. Sometimes both partners want things to improve but don't know how to break the cycle.

As a trained Couples Counsellor, I offer a calm, safe and balanced space where both partners have the opportunity to speak and be heard. I work with same-sex and heterosexual couples, whether married or in another form of partnership.

The focus is on your relationship. We can explore how you communicate, how conflict develops, what each of you brings to the relationship and how your individual histories influence the way you respond to each other. If you want to strengthen and deepen your relationship, we can work towards greater understanding and connection. If you are considering separation or want an amicable ending, we can also explore what is getting in the way of this and how you might move forward.

Couples Counselling can feel more structured than individual counselling because both partners are actively involved in the process. It requires a willingness from both of you to engage honestly and work towards change. For confidentiality and data-protection reasons, both partners need to contact me independently before counselling begins. If you would like an introductory call, please arrange this for a time when you can both be present.

Practical information
I work from a private counselling room on the outskirts of Woking, with easy parking and bus routes nearby. It is approximately a 30-minute walk from Woking station.

Counselling can be short-term or longer-term, depending on your needs. I also have a limited number of reduced-fee spaces available for people who would otherwise find counselling difficult to afford.

If you would like to find out whether I might be the right counsellor for you, I offer a free 15-minute telephone or Zoom call before your first appointment. This gives us an opportunity to briefly discuss what you are looking for and for you to ask any questions.

And please ...

Contact me if you need more information or have questions.  You can get in touch with me by email at: wokingcounselling@protonmail.com or call or text me on 07495 267944.  .

My website address is:  www.wokingcounsellingsupport.co.uk

I also work with people who want to take stock in their lives and to consider whether how they are living makes sense to them.

Individual Counselling Sessions:

£50 for 50 min - 1 hr Individual Counselling session

Some concessions are available.

Couples:

£65 for 50 min - 1 hr Couples Counselling session .

Some concessions are available.

Flexible after 9.30 am.

I am based on the outskirts of Woking, going in the Guildford direction.  There is easy parking just outside.

For individual clients, after an initial one hour appointment, I am now offering the option of 30 minute sessions over Zoom.