Karen Nolan

Welcome to KN Psychotherapy & Wellbeing 

If you've arrived here you may be feeling anxious, distressed, disillusioned and wondering if therapy might help. 

Perhaps you're trying hard, hitting all your targets and still feeling not good enough. So, you work longer hours, neglecting yourself and your personal relationships until eventually you reach burn-out.  Or perhaps you're over-achieving, spinning all the plates, but feeling under-valued and over-looked.  Your care and support for others goes unappreciated, you feel exhausted with little time for leisure or creativity.

You may notice the same patterns repeating in your professional and personal life. You’ve read the self-help books and maybe tried therapy before.  You've learned some strategies and for a while things felt better.  Then you realised you’re back on that familiar, joy-sucking, self-destructive merry-go-round. And now perhaps you feel sad, weary and a little stuck. 

Whether you’re a professional facing workplace burnout, an adult exploring recent ADHD diagnosis or someone who is tired of the same repeating relationship struggles, you don’t have to navigate these complex difficulties alone. 

Using an approach called Transactional Analysis, I will help you work out what you want from therapy. We will move beyond just “talking about problems” to gain an understand of the underlying causes. Together, we'll generate options, rebuild confidence, strengthen your core-self and help you find a way forward that feels more authentic, grounded and resourceful. 

My aim is to support you in recovering your self-belief, sense of agency, creative potential and zest for life!

What is Transactional Analysis? 

Transactional analysis (TA) is a method of psychotherapy that values and recognises the potential for change and growth in every individual. TA encourages us to be more present and aware of our thoughts, feelings and behaviour . It starts from three core beliefs:

• You’re OK.
• You have the ability to think and problem solve.
• Change is possible.

TA is an individual and a group psychotherapy. It is a flexible approach, drawing on a range of different therapeutic modalities and techniques, which means we can tailor our way of working together to match your needs and preferences. 

TA is effective as a long-term psychotherapy and for short-term and psycho-educational work.  TA can help with a wide range of difficulties. It is particularly useful in aiding our understanding of how past experiences and relationships may be impacting on our lives and limiting our choices in the present. 

TA offers some very practical models for understanding ourselves, our motivations and limiting-beliefs, quietening the inner-critic, building self-compassion, enhancing communication and deepening our relationships with others. You can learn more about TA on my website www.karennolan.co.uk

About you 

You will find working with me most beneficial if you:

• Wish  to learn more about yourself and your ways of being.
• Are open to self-reflection and to exploring feelings and patterns of thinking, feeling and relating.
• Wish to think about things together and receive reflections and insights from me.
• Notice self-destructive or harmful patterns repeating in your work,  personal life or studies and are wondering how to change this.
• Are curious about how past experiences, family dynamics and unconscious beliefs may be affecting your choices and relationships in the present. 

About Me 

I’m Karen Nolan, an experienced psychotherapist with special interests in ADHD, anxiety, childhood trauma, dreamwork and creativity.  

Based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, I offer group and individual psychotherapy and regularly conduct therapeutic dream-sharing groups. I work online and in-person. 

I hold a Level 7 Diploma in Advanced Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy from the Manchester Institute for Psychotherapy.

I am a BACP registered member and a student member of the IGA and work in accordance with their professional standards. 

To learn more about what I can offer you, please read on.  

Individual Therapy

Individual therapy with me can be either brief or long-term depending on your needs, preference and budget.  Usually, I see clients for 50 minutes weekly or once every two weeks.  These options can be explored at our initial consultation session depending on your needs, availability and of course budget  

If you’d like to work with me individually, I have availability online for weekly or fortnightly 1:1 sessions.   Please get in touch.

If you’re interested in exploring group therapy opportunities read on.

Group Therapy 

If you’re seeking connection and belonging, struggling with self-confidence, anxiety or relationships and wish to feel less alone and more connected and resourceful, then group therapy may be a good choice for you.  

I offer a number of different groups and a free initial consultation, where we can explore in more depth which approach might be best for you.  Group therapy, with me, offers a safe and respectful space for you to explore your current challenges, past experiences and relationship difficulties in the company of others.

You will benefit from the perspectives, insights and experiences of other group members as well as from me as therapist.  Participants in my therapy groups find empathy, support, containment and a sense of community.  

My approach to groupwork draws on my expertise in transactional analysis, my understanding of group analytic theory and practice, plus many years experience working with organisations, teams and community groups.  These are the groups I offer: 

Group Analytic Therapy Group in Bolton, Greater Manchester  

If you are looking for long-term group therapy and are able to commit to attending weekly sessions for a year or longer, this group might be a good fit for you.  

This small, therapy group will meet in-person, in Bolton, Greater Manchester on Thursday evenings, beginning Autumn 2027.  Sessions last 90 minutes.  

As part of my professional development, I am currently in advanced training in  Group Analysis. This group open-ended, analytic group is offered in support of my training. 

If you would like to know more, please contact me for details and to arrange an initial consultation. 

Creative Dreamers - Online Group 

Would you like to tap into the creative potential of your dreams? 

This therapeutic dream-sharing group offers a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for those interested in making meaning of their own dreams and exploring the dreams of other group members.  You will gain social-confidence, a sense of connection and encouragement to explore your own creativity. 

Joining a dream-sharing group with me, offers you support, containment and space to explore the personal and the social aspects of your dreams. We work creatively with the symbols, metaphors and archetypes found within dreams drawing on feelings, associations, stories, myths, art and culture to elaborate and make sense of our dreams.  Dreamwork in a group can support your personal development, reduce anxiety and help you feel more resourceful. 

The therapeutic approach I use in dreamwork is transactional analysis (TA), informed by group analytic theory and practice.  There is opportunity in this group to learn some TA, experiment with journaling and develop some techniques for continuing your dreamwork alone or with friends and family. 

This established group meets online, twice monthly on Wednesday evenings for 90 minutes. I'm currently accepting enquiries to join the waiting list for Creative Dreamers.  If you're interested in dreamwork and able to commit to fortnightly sessions for at least one year, please get in touch for details.  

Therapeutic Dream-sharing Group at The Old Courts, Wigan 

Like Creative Dreamers only in person! This group will meet twice monthly on Wednesday evenings in Wigan, Greater Manchester.  If you’re able to commit to attending regular sessions, for at least a year, please contact me for more information. 

TA Saturdays Therapy Group - Hybrid

If you have had some individual therapy and are looking for a therapy group to support your wellbeing and increase your social confidence, I  have space in a monthly Transactional Analysis therapy group.  Most sessions are held online and a small number take place in-person at the Old Courts, Wigan. 

You must be able to attend the in-person as well  as the online sessions and be willing to commit to monthly attendance for at least one year.  If that sounds like you, then TA Saturdays therapy group offers a warm, supportive space for dialogue, reflection and connection with others.  You will be  encouraged to share your experiences and insights and gain from the experiences and insights of fellow group members.  Please contact me for details.  

Next Steps

If you’re ready to take the next step in exploring either individual or group psychotherapy with me, or if you’re interested in joining a dream-sharing group, do please get in touch to arrange a free consultation.

The initial consultation lasts around an hour and is an opportunity to tell me more about yourself, your reasons for starting therapy and for us to explore how we might work together.  I will also answer any questions you have about therapy and my approach.

I look forward to hearing from you. 

In my psychotherapy practice I have special interests in childhood trauma,  complex PTSD, anxiety and ADHD.

I work psychodynamically from an attachment informed perspective and specialise in working with adults who experienced sexual, physical or psychological abuse or neglect during childhood. 

I am also interested in dreamwork, creativity and the creative process. I have experience conducting dream-sharing groups and therapeutic arts activities.

My background is in human resource management, where I gained experience of workplace mediation, dispute resolution and change implementation. I have successfully supported many people through workplace difficulties such as bullying, grievance, redundancy and retirement as well as return to work following long-term illness, injury or unemployment. 

Another area of specialism is work-related stress and burnout. Previously, I managed in-house health and safety and HR services for a number of large public sector organisations and have experience implementing well-being programmes and supporting successful return to work after long-term illness.  

I have a Post Graduate Diploma in HRM and a NEBOSH certificate in occupational safety and health. I am particularly interested in the impact factors such as environment, social support, creative activities and time spent outdoors have on our psychological wellbeing.

Individual psychotherapy online or in-person is £65 per 50 minute session.  

Online group therapy from £28 per session  - please enquire for current availability and fees. 

In-person group therapy please enquire for details and fees. 

Working Creatively

I’m interested in creativity and the creative process, and particularly in how journaling and writing can support healing and wellbeing.  Therapeutic journaling can be woven into individual work and forms part of my work with dreams.   If you are interested in learning more or would like to participant in a therapeutic journaling group, please get in touch.