Karen Shaw

I currently have Tuesday evening and Friday morning availability in person at Grantham.

I have online availability Wednesday afternoon and evening.

About Me

Do you want somewhere confidential to talk?

Are you troubled by traumatic memories?

Are you struggling with depression, anxiety and/or stress?

Would you like to improve your confidence & self-esteem and feel happier?

Hello, I am Karen, a fully qualified, BACP Psychotherapeutic Counsellor. I consider myself to be warm, caring, non-judgmental, sensitive and supportive. I am a LGBTQ+ ally and have experience of working with neurodiverse clients.

I am skilled in helping people to improve their self-esteem, manage anxiety and depression, and to create more satisfying relationships with themselves and others. I have a special interest in supporting people who have experienced sexual violence/abuse and helping people to address deep-rooted childhood trauma/developmental problems.

My practice is based in a convenient, fully accessible location in Grantham, just off the A1 with free car parking. I have a ground floor room that is wheelchair accessible and a wheelchair accessible toilet.

I provide confidential long & short term counselling to individual adults. I offer in person or online sessions.

I believe passionately in the long-term benefits of counselling and love my work. It is a privilege for me to support people through their difficulties and help them find their way to live happier, more fulfilled lives.

Who Can I Help

Whatever you are going through, you don’t have to go through it alone. You may be seeking therapy to get support with something specific that has happened to you. A trauma, the loss of a loved one, loss of work, identity or purpose. I can provide you with a safe and confidential space for you to process your experience and find a way to heal and move forward. Alternatively, you may want someone to support and listen to you while you’re going through a difficult time.

Short Term/Brief Counselling

In brief and short term work we may agree to work for 6-12 sessions then reassess.

You may come to counselling when you’re going through a difficult period where you need support and someone to listen.

I can also support you to focus on one, or a few specific issues and work towards defined, achievable goals.

Long Term Counselling

This is usually open-ended. I will support you while you look deeply at your thoughts, emotions, behaviour and ingrained patterns of relating, which often have their roots in childhood, so that you can develop a greater understanding of yourself and make any changes you’d like. Our work will be anchored in the present while we can look with gentle curiosity at how past memories and future worries impact you in the here and now. Long-term work can lead to profound growth, increased happiness and personality changes over time.

EMDR Therapy

EMDR helps you process the negative images, emotions, beliefs and body sensations associated with traumatic memories that seem to be stuck.

EMDR helps you to see things from a different perspective and relieves symptoms . You may decide that you purely want EMDR therapy or it can be integrated into short or long term work.

How I Work

I am an integrative, relational, humanist psychotherapeutic counsellor. This means that I have learnt various counselling models and use my skills and experience to tailor a therapeutic approach that is individual to you and your needs, to help you reach your goals.

I offer a range of techniques to support therapeutic exploration and change. This can include inner child work, the use of story and metaphor, sand tray, guided imagery, dream work, drawing, painting, clay, body work, mindfulness, and relaxation if you are comfortable with any these methods.

Above all I believe in the importance and power of the therapeutic relationship in which I invest myself professionally, genuinely, emotionally and lovingly with integrity and confidentially.

Getting started

I know that taking that first step can often feel difficult especially if you don't know what to expect. You can expect me to be warm, welcoming and non-judgmental.

All you need do right at the start is get in touch! You can contact me in whatever way feels most comfortable - by telephone call, text, WhatsApp or email and we can arrange an initial meeting/assessment.

I offer an optional, free 15 minute pre-assessment telephone consultation. This is an opportunity for you to connect with me before meeting and ask questions, which can be helpful if you are nervous or a bit unsure.

All sessions are 50 minutes long. It's very relaxed and if you are nervous, I will do my best to put you at ease. Our first session is an assessment session where we have a chance for us to get to know each other a little - you will have the space to tell me what has brought you to counselling, and I can explain how I work and answer any questions you have. After that, I can tell you if I think I can help you and you can decide if it feels a good fit for you. Some people know right away, others like to go away and have a think about it. There is no obligation to continue.

If we decide to continue, we will then agree a day and time to meet, usually weekly. You may already have an idea as to whether you want to work long or short term.

I have some availability Monday and Thursday evenings from 4pm. Wednesdays from 12 noon and Saturday and Sunday mornings/early afternoon.

About Me

Do you want somewhere safe to talk?

Are you troubled by traumatic memories?

Are you struggling with depression, anxiety and/or stress?

Would you like to improve your confidence & self-esteem and feel happier?

Hello, I am Karen, a fully qualified, BACP Psychotherapeutic Counsellor. I consider myself to be warm, caring, non-judgmental, sensitive and supportive. I am a LGBTQIA+ ally and have experience of working with neurodiverse clients. I also have experience of working with clients taking GLP-1 medication and/or pre/post bariatric surgery.

I am skilled in helping people to improve their self-esteem, manage anxiety and depression, and to create more satisfying relationships with themselves and others. I have a special interest in supporting people who have experienced sexual violence/abuse and helping people to address deep-rooted childhood trauma/developmental problems.

My practice is based in a convenient, fully accessible location in Normanton-on-Trent, with free car parking. I have a ground floor room that is wheelchair accessible and a wheelchair accessible toilet.

I provide confidential long & short term counselling and EMDR to individual adults. I offer in person or online sessions.

I believe passionately in the long-term benefits of counselling and love my work. It is a privilege for me to support people through their difficulties and help them find their way to live happier, more fulfilled lives.

Who Can I Help

Whatever you are going through, you don’t have to go through it alone. You may be seeking therapy to get support with something specific that has happened to you. A trauma, the loss of a loved one, loss of work, identity or purpose. I can provide you with a confidential space for you to process your experience and find a way to heal and move forward. Alternatively, you may want someone to support and listen to you while you’re going through a difficult time.

Short Term/Brief Counselling

In brief and short term work we may agree to work for 6-12 sessions then reassess.

You may come to counselling when you’re going through a difficult period where you need support and someone to listen.

I can also support you to focus on one, or a few specific issues and work towards defined, achievable goals.

Long Term Counselling

This is usually open-ended. I will support you while you look deeply at your thoughts, emotions, behaviour and ingrained patterns of relating, which often have their roots in childhood, so that you can develop a greater understanding of yourself and make any changes you’d like. Our work will be anchored in the present while we can look with gentle curiosity at how past memories and future worries impact you in the here and now. Long-term work can lead to profound growth, increased happiness and personality changes over time.

EMDR Therapy

EMDR helps you process the negative images, emotions, beliefs and body sensations associated with traumatic memories that seem to be stuck. 

EMDR helps you to see things from a different perspective and relieves symptoms. You can see me just for EMDR therapy or If you prefer it can be integrated into short or long term work.

How I Work

I am an integrative, relational, humanist psychotherapeutic counsellor. This means that I have learnt various counselling models and use my skills and experience to tailor a therapeutic approach that is individual to you and your needs, to help you reach your goals.

I offer a range of techniques to support therapeutic exploration and change. This can include inner child work, the use of story and metaphor, sand tray, guided imagery, dream work, drawing, painting, clay, body work, mindfulness, and relaxation if you are comfortable with any these methods.

Above all I believe in the importance and power of the therapeutic relationship in which I invest myself professionally, genuinely, emotionally and lovingly with integrity and confidentially.

Getting started

I know that taking that first step can often feel difficult especially if you don't know what to expect. You can expect me to be warm, welcoming and non-judgmental.

All you need do right at the start is get in touch! You can contact me in whatever way feels most comfortable - by telephone call, text, WhatsApp or email and we can arrange an initial meeting/assessment.

I offer an optional, free 15 minute pre-assessment telephone consultation. This is an opportunity for you to connect with me before meeting and ask questions, which can be helpful if you are nervous or a bit unsure.

All sessions are 50 minutes long. It's very relaxed and if you are nervous, I will do my best to put you at ease. Our first session is an assessment session where we have a chance for us to get to know each other a little - you will have the space to tell me what has brought you to counselling, and I can explain how I work and answer any questions you have. After that, I can tell you if I think I can help you and you can decide if it feels a good fit for you. Some people know right away, others like to go away and have a think about it. There is no obligation to continue.

If we decide to continue, we will then agree a day and time to meet, usually weekly. You may already have an idea as to whether you want to work long or short term.

My approach to clinical supervision is integrative, relational, and reflective. I aim to offer a supportive and containing space where supervisees can think carefully about their client work, their use of self, and the wider professional, organisational, and ethical contexts in which they practise.

Supervision with me is collaborative rather than directive. I work alongside supervisees to support curiosity, reflection, and professional development, while also attending to responsibility, accountability, and client safety. I am attentive to process within the supervision relationship, including parallel processes, and how these may mirror or inform the therapeutic work.

I am trauma-trained and experienced in supervising work involving complex trauma, abuse, attachment difficulties, and relational psychotherapy, including EMDR-informed practice. I also have experience supporting neurodivergent practitioners and those working with or within LGBTQIA+ communities, with sensitivity to difference, identity, and minority stress.

My supervision draws on integrative and relational frameworks, including the Seven-Eyed Model of Supervision, to support reflection on client material, the therapeutic relationship, and the broader systemic context. Where helpful, and if the supervisee is open to it, I may also integrate creative and reflective methods to deepen understanding and learning.

I aim to support supervision that feels both containing and appropriately challenging, where uncertainty can be held safely and professional confidence can develop over time. Supervision is available in person or online, with frequency agreed in line with BACP requirements, professional guidelines, or organisational needs. An initial conversation is available to explore whether working together feels like a good fit.

My supervision practice offers a calm, reflective, and confidential space for counsellors, psychotherapists, and trainees to think carefully about their clinical work and professional development. I provide supervision to practitioners working with individuals and relationships, as well as to those working within organisational or voluntary sector settings. Supervision is available in person or online.

I am an integrative psychotherapist, registered with UKCP and BACP, and my approach to supervision is relational, reflective, and trauma-trained. I attend closely to the clinical material brought to supervision, the therapeutic relationship, and the wider ethical, organisational, and systemic contexts in which the work takes place. I aim to support supervision that feels both containing and appropriately challenging, balancing care for the practitioner with responsibility for client safety.

I have experience supervising work involving complex trauma, abuse, attachment-related difficulties, and relational psychotherapy and counselling. I also have particular experience supporting neurodivergent practitioners, and those working with or within LGBTQIA+ communities, with sensitivity to difference, identity, and minority stress.

Supervision with me is collaborative rather than prescriptive. Alongside discussion of client work, I encourage reflection on use of self, professional identity, boundaries, and the emotional impact of the work. My supervision draws on integrative and relational models, including the Seven-Eyed Model of Supervision. Where helpful, and if you are open to it, creative and reflective methods may also be used to support insight and learning.

Frequency of supervision is agreed in line with BACP requirements, professional guidelines, or organisational needs. I offer an initial conversation to explore whether my supervision style and experience are a good fit for you or your organisation.

The first supervision session provides an opportunity for us to meet, begin to get a sense of how we might work together, and consider whether my supervision style feels like a good fit for you and your practice. This session is usually structured a little differently from ongoing supervision, allowing time for discussion as well as reflection.

In the first session, we will explore your professional context, training background, current caseload, and the nature of the work you are bringing to supervision. We will also discuss your professional body requirements, supervision frequency, and any organisational or contractual expectations. Alongside this, there is space to reflect on what you are hoping for from supervision and how you learn and work best.

I may ask you to complete some brief supervision information in advance, such as details about your practice, ethical framework, and supervision needs, to help our work begin thoughtfully and safely. This is not an assessment, but a way of ensuring clarity, shared understanding, and appropriate containment from the outset.

The first session is charged at the same rate as ongoing supervision. Where we agree to work together, we will use this session to establish a clear supervision agreement, including boundaries, confidentiality, responsibilities, and review points, so that supervision can proceed in a grounded and supportive way.

If either of us feels that another supervisory arrangement would be more appropriate, this can be discussed openly and respectfully. I aim for the first session to feel containing, collaborative, and informative, supporting you to make an informed decision about ongoing supervision.