Karen Whiteside

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Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

Cardiff, CF10 2GF
Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

About me

I am a qualified and highly experienced counsellor and psychotherapist, accredited with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy. I prioritise the unique working relationship with each client.

I approach our relationship with empathy, curiosity, patience and goodwill, and have enjoyed the experience of working with clients on a wide range of issues. Ethics are at the heart of my practice, and I offer a safe, principled and confidential experience.

Why some people come to therapy.

You may have recognised that you feel caught in painful memories, difficult relationships or a pattern you want to break.

You may decide that things have become impossible, you can't carry any longer, nothing you do seems to make any difference.

You may want to talk through difficult issues in your relationships, or explore things that happened in your childhood.

You may be looking for ways of understanding and managing depression or to find new and more supportive ways of dealing with anxiety or panic attacks.

You may want a safe place to explore your thoughts and feelings about your sexuality, or gender.

You may be need someone outside your close circle to talk through a relationship crisis, an affair, or betrayal.

You may wish to explore issues around childlessness, whether by choice, or circumstance.

You may be struggling to come to terms with loss or bereavement, or dealing with other less easy losses to explain, as you support a family member in ill health.

You may feel alone, scared, angry or lost.

My approach

I help create a relationship in which people feel supported. This makes it possible for my clients to explore their thoughts, feelings and experiences in a way that feels safe.

My training

My training is as an Integrative therapist. This means I draw on a number of models. My emphasis is on those that highlight the importance of relationship in our early development, in our daily experience, and in therapy.

Who do I work with

I work with adults of all ages and from a wide variety of backgrounds.

What to expect

After our initial assessment session, I usually suggest that we meet for 6 - 10 sessions, at the same time each week. Many clients find this brief, focused work extremely helpful.

For some clients, this initial work lays the ground for longer term therapy, looking in more depth, at complex or deeply rooted issues.

I am happy to work with clients on both short and long-term work.

Training, qualifications & experience

I am a qualified psychotherapist currently working online.

I began my training as a psychotherapist at Spectrum, a centre for personal and professional development, before going on to complete my training with the Welsh Psychotherapy Institute. I am a member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, and on its professional register. As a member of the Welsh Psychotherapy Partnership, I use their ethical guidelines, and those of the UKCP to inform my practice.

As part of my training, I worked for two years as part of an NHS Secondary Care, mental health team. In this context, I gained valuable experience of working with complex issues including PTSD and developmental trauma. As a volunteer, I worked for two years with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

I have undertaken specialist gender and sexual diversity training. I am interested in issues of diversity in my work and in society.

I have a Post-graduate Diploma in Contemporary Trauma Practice.

My life experiences also inform my work. I have worked in the UK and abroad, as a teacher, trainer and a television documentary maker. I have an MA in English Language and Literature and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education.

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

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.

NCPS
National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)

The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society

This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations.

In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

UKCP
UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a leading professional body for the education, training and regulation of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Its register is accredited by the government's Professional Standards Authority.

As part of its commitment to protect the public, it works to improve access to psychotherapy, to support and disseminate research, to improve standards and to respond effectively to complaints against its members.

UKCP standards cover the range of different psychotherapies. Registration is obtained by training or accrediting with one of its member organisations, or by holding a European Certificate in Psychotherapy. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

Accredited register membership

National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society
Accredited Register Scheme

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.

National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society

Other areas of counselling I deal with

I am particularly interested in working with trauma; single incident trauma, multiple incident trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and developmental trauma.

Fees

£55.00 per session
Free initial online session

Additional information

I charge £55.00 per 50 minute session. I offer a 10% discount for students in full time education. I keep a few sessions at reduced rates for clients who would not otherwise be able to access psychotherapy.

When I work

I am currently taking on new clients.

I am currently working with clients online and on the telephone.

Further information

Some clients come to therapy for reasons they find hard to put into words. They say:

"I feel sad, but there's no reason to be sad."

"I'm scared that life is passing me by."

"Nothing seems to fill the gap, nothing really satisfies."

"I feel overwhelmed."

"I'm so angry."

"I'm lonely."

"I feel scared."

Therapy can be a safe way to explore issues that are hard to pin down, or that feel too embarrassing to bring up with a friend or your GP.

Often the opportunity to talk in a safe and confidential space can lead to a deeper and helpful understanding of what's going on beneath the surface.

54 Charles Street, Cardiff, CF10 2GF

Type of session

Online
Phone

Types of client

Young people
Adults
Older adults
Employee Assistance Programme

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Karen Whiteside
Karen Whiteside