About Karen
Karen Bannerman is a counsellor with BACP accreditation and 25 years of practice in the United Kingdom. She offers a calm, respectful presence and aims to give people space to talk about what is worrying them. Conversations are straightforward and non-judgemental, with time taken to listen to each person’s story.
Her work covers a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, grief and trauma. She also helps with sexual intimacy difficulties, issues linked to identity including LGBT concerns, addictions, and life transitions such as career change or caregiving strain.
Background and approach
Eating, body image and chronic health challenges are also within her scope. Karen draws on approaches that include attachment-based methods, client-centred work, cognitive behavioural strategies, mindfulness and psychodynamic ideas. In practice this means paying attention to how people connect with others, focusing on current difficulties, and using practical tools to manage thoughts and feelings.
Sessions balance listening with small exercises or observations that can be tried between meetings. She has experience of family and couple dynamics and of supporting people who have been through loss, abandonment or disrupted care. When a different service would better meet someone’s needs, she offers clear signposting to appropriate agencies or organisations.
People who prefer a measured, respectful conversation about their situation tend to find her style suitable. Prospective clients are asked to use the site Start Therapy button to begin the matching and scheduling process.
What Karen works with
Everything Karen lists, in their own terms. LGBT is the reason Karen is listed here; the rest shows what else Karen works with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counselling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Karen lists
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centred Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each counsellor names and does not check training records.
How her approaches shape online work
Attachment-based work looks at how early and current relationships affect feeling safe with others; it can help when trust, closeness or abandonment worries are part of someone’s difficulty. Client-centred work puts the person’s experience at the centre and relies on careful listening, reflection and empathy to help people find their own direction. Cognitive behavioural techniques focus on identifying unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns and on trying small experiments to see if different ways of thinking or acting lead to practical improvements.Finding the right approach is part of the therapy process. The therapist will work collaboratively to choose methods that match the client’s needs, goals and preferences. That might mean combining listening-focused sessions with practical exercises between meetings, and adapting as progress is made.
Confirm the specific session formats available before booking so you know what is offered. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also makes it possible to continue sessions through life changes or while living in different parts of the United Kingdom, with the therapist helping to find a rhythm that fits everyday routines.
Questions people ask about Karen
What kinds of concerns does Karen help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and family difficulties, trauma and abuse, addictions, intimacy issues, eating and body-image concerns, and many life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is calm and non-judgemental, combining listening with practical strategies from several approaches to help manage thoughts, feelings and relationships.
What background and experience does she bring?
She has 25 years of professional work experience in the United Kingdom supporting people through loss, family conflict, relationship strain and other concerns.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is accredited with the BACP and practises in the United Kingdom.
Can sessions be held in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available with this therapist?
Confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered for consultations and therapy.
How are sessions charged and what payment model is used?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Karen?
Use the Start Therapy button on the site, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.
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