Karen Raymond

Hello, thank you for looking at my profile. As long as I can remember, I have always wondered about people: their personal motivations and life struggles. This is why I decided to start training as a counsellor over twenty years ago. 

I have been working with clients as a qualified counsellor since 2004 and through professional experience I have seen that under certain conditions clients can make positive changes in their lives.

I think we are all aware that there will be times in our lives when we may feel sad, isolated or unable to make decisions with ease. It is at moments like these that it can be useful to seek the support of another person who is not directly involved in our daily lives.

I have supported people in reducing anxiety, stop limiting behaviours, becoming empowered particularity after being in abusive relationships, begin healing from trauma and find solutions for home and workplace stresses.

I offer a confidential, compassionate and professional counselling practice. If you would like to know more about my approach, please make contact. I am always happy to speak to new people and find out what they are wanting to change or understand more fully about themselves. 

I offer a free thirty minute telephone conversation so that you can gain a sense of me and my approach, and also for me to understand what you are wanting to explore. By doing this you will be able experience what it feels like to talk to me without any obligation of payment or pressure to continue with sessions.

I hope to be able to create a warm, accepting and relaxed therapeutic space so that we will be able to work together in a way that is honest and supportive of your individuality and personal aims within counselling.

When working online I use Zoom which allows you to access counselling from your own environment. This cuts out travelling time, may fit into a busy schedule or suit your personal circumstances. I recommend that you allow at least 15 minutes after sessions to think through what we have talked about. There is a need for you to be able to create privacy so that we can speak freely and you are able to gain the most you can from the work we do together.

If you decide that you want to work with me I will give you information about the practicalities of us working together so that you are clear about the counselling process.

Our first session will include some ethical administration for me but because we will have spoken previously we will be able to focus on you and what you are wanting to address. I understand that clients will have different feelings about the first session and I will do my best to help you be at ease. 

As a supervisor I recognise that the quality of the relationship is fundamental to how myself and supervisees will build trust and create a space in which we feel secure enough to be authentic, collaborative and free to communicate the processes that will support positive client outcomes.

As a supervisor, I work with student counsellors as well as experienced practitioners and supervisors. Although my personal/professional philosophy will be consistent within all of these relationships, I recognise that supervisees will have individual needs from the arrangement. I honour that whether someone is a student or highly qualified, that they will bring to supervision and their practice a lived social, cultural, work and personal wisdom. All practitioners will have areas in which they want to evolve and vulnerabilities that need an opportunity to be acknowledged.

Through an accepting, honest and congruent supervisory relationship supervisees are able to develop their own unique professional identity which may change with learning, experience and the passing of time. My role is to help integrate ethical frameworks within practice while allowing the supervisee to gain confidence through reflective practice and explore client concerns in a way that is respectful, open and useful.

For all supervisees, supervision is developmental and helps to maintain good standards of practice and evidences commitment to a professional and responsible profession. It can also be creative, enjoyable, stimulating and affirming.

For Trainees:

I have considerable experience working with student counsellors and offer comprehensive support during training. I enjoy this apsect of my work so please make contact to see if I can match your needs.

If it is a course requirement to see your supervisor in person we can arrange that and I do offer a reduction in fee for counsellors in training.