Karen Horrocks

Hello.

I am a qualified Counsellor and Psychotherapist, using Transactional Analysis (TA). I provide a confidential, comfortable environment, offering face-to-face counselling and psychotherapeutic support to individuals and to couples.

My focus is upon helping clients to gain personal insight and understanding of their difficulties, working with them in how to move forward, and facilitating their growth, change and transformation.

I have worked with a wide range of client concerns, including: depression/feeling low, bereavment and loss, low self-esteem, stress and anxiety, work-related issues, anger, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and feelings, sexuality-related issues, and relationship problems, especially around communication difficulties.

My particular interests are in helping people who have suffered trauma, having worked with men and women from a range of backgrounds,who have undergone mental, physical, and sexual abuse, and working with couples - around communication and relationship issues.

I use a Relational Approach, using the unique therapeutic relationship between me and each client, to help identify what is working well, and and what patterns of thinking, feeling and behaviour are perhaps causing pain and distress, and need changing.  Our therapeutic relationship is also the means by which this change can be facilitated. 

I find that TA offers a valuable 'psychological toolkit' with which to help clients better understand their own thinking, feeling and behavour, and that of others. It also provides models and ways of how to start bringing about some form of personal change for themselves, and/or their interactions with others.

I offer working face to face, online or a combination of both, using Skype or Zoom.

During our first session, I will explain the way I work, setting out the terms and conditions with you for our working together.  I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the way I practice, or about my therapeutic approach.

The first session(s) form(s) part of an assessment, in which we look together at the issues that have brought you to therapy, and what you want to acheive from it.

You may have a very clear idea of what you want,  you may be struggling with understanding what is happening to you, or may just be overwhelmed by your thoughts and feelings.

We will consider your medical and therapy background, alongside a whole range of areas that could be affecting you.  We will start forming a picture together of what our work together will entail.

It is important for you to have the chance to experience how I work, and to gain a sense of whether you feel comfortable and safe in talking with me.  This means that at the end of our first session, when I ask you if you would like to continue working with me, you can make an informed choice.

I will then usually suggest we  agree a time and date to meet for a further 5 sessions, for exploration of the presenting issues.