Karen Smith
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This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional has no current availability for new clients. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
Hello and welcome to my page. I am a qualified Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Supervisor. I have been working therapeutically with Children, Young People and Adults since 2009.
I can offer counselling & supervision across the UK online as well as face to face on the Isle of Wight.
How counselling can help
People come to counselling for all kinds of reasons, whether that means help with treating a specific mental health issue, for personal development or something as simple as wanting to reach a specific goal. It can also be to improve your self-care and gain a greater life balance. Counselling can help you to learn about what you are feeling, why you might be feeling it, and how to cope.
I offer a warm and safe environment to help you explore the reasons you have chosen to come to counselling. I bring an integrative approach to the therapy which means that I use strategies from a variety of approaches, all depending on what you bring to therapy. I may use techniques from various counselling models including Humanistic counselling, cognitive behaviour therapy, solution focused therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Integrative sandplay therapy, Rewind Trauma techniques, mindfulness and the creative arts.
I believe that you are the expert in your own life. We will work together in order to support you to reach your full potential. Difficult life experiences may temporarily block our ability to reach our potential. This could be due to difficult early childhood experiences, relationship breakdowns, trauma, bereavements or loss, cultural issues or diagnosed disorders to name a few. However, with the right support, we all have the ability to achieve our goals.
Please get in contact with me to arrange a free no obligation phone call.
If you decide that you would like to proceed with counselling, we will arrange our first appointment together. When you book your first session, I will send you a copy of my therapeutic agreement for you to look through before we meet. First sessions usually entail a more detailed assessment. The assessment, will enable us to think together about how we may work together and think about what you would like to achieve from counselling.
Training, qualifications & experience
I have worked with many clients from all walks of life and with a diverse range of reasons that have brought them to counselling.
Work experience includes:
- Education services - counselling in Primary & Secondary Schools as well as a University counselling service.
- Private Practice offering long-term and short-term therapy to children and adults.
- Local Children's Centres counselling parents/carers
- GP Surgeries
- Employee Assistance Programmes
- Health Insurance Companies
- NHS Commissioned Services
- Counselling for a local charity working with Children & Young People aged 5 - 25 years.
- Counselling support for Looked after Children (LAC). I am an approved provider of Adoption Support Services with Adopt South.
- Writing and delivering group programmes
In addition to counselling, I have worked as a Clinical Lead and Safeguarding Lead for a Counselling & Psychotherapy Service Supporting Children and Young People on the Isle of Wight.
My Qualifications:
- BA (Hons) Degree in Humanistic Counselling
- Post Qualifying Diploma in Counselling Children & Young People
- Certificate in Group Facilitation
- Certificate in Creative supervision
- Diploma in Practitioner Skills for Eating Disorders - NCFED
- Certificate in Integrative Sandplay Therapy
- Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) Level 1 & 2
- Certificate in Rewind Therapy (PTSD)
- Certified Cyber Therapist - Online Therapy Institute (Specialising in Children & Young People)
Professional memberships & affiliations:
- MBACP - British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy. I have completed a BACP accredited training and as a Member of BACP, I work within their ethical framework and standards for good practice.
- APCCA - Association for Person Centred Creative Arts - Associate Member
- ACTO - Association for Counselling & Therapy Online - Level 2 Professional Membership
- NCFED - National Centre for Eating Disorders - Professional Member
- Adopt South Approved and Registered Adoption Support Counsellor
I am fully insured, hold an Enhanced Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) Certificate and Level 3 Safeguarding Certificate.
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
£50.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
Individual counselling sessions - 50 minutes £50.00
Online Video Counselling - 50 minutes £50.00
Walk & Talk Counselling - 50 minutes £50.00
Fees are payable by Bank Transfer.
* Please note these fees do not apply to work undertaken for organisations/services. A quote for work can be submitted on request.
When I work
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My working hours are flexible.
Further information
I also offer Walk & Talk Counselling for individual clients.
Walk & Talk sessions are a creative alternative to traditional counselling. Instead of having sessions inside my office, the sessions will take place outdoors in and around Chillerton or around the grounds of Carisbrooke Castle.
