Karen Spilsbury, NCPS

Karen Spilsbury is a counsellor practising in the United Kingdom with eight years of professional experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, and low self-esteem. Karen aims to make the first steps into therapy feel manageable and respectful of each person's pace.

Karen uses simple, direct conversation to understand what is causing strain right now. She treats the person in front of her as the expert on their own life and looks for strengths to build on. Sessions are practical and aim to leave people with steps they can try between meetings.

Her background includes work supporting people through big life changes and recovery from substance misuse. She also works with issues such as abandonment, attachment difficulties, codependency, and communication problems. That experience informs how she helps people rebuild confidence and cope with disruption.

Karen draws on several therapy approaches to match the needs of each person. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and client-centred methods, and also offers hypnotherapy when appropriate. Together these approaches can help with managing difficult emotions and changing unhelpful patterns.

Sessions are offered in English and take place in the UK context. Karen wants to work collaboratively, helping people set realistic goals and try practical strategies. She encourages anyone who has felt stuck to take the next step toward change.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without being driven by them, then choose actions that match their values; it often helps with stress, anxiety and coping during life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and offers practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns, which can be useful for anxiety and low mood. Client-centred therapy focuses on listening and understanding, giving people space to lead the conversation while the counsellor reflects and supports their own insights.

Karen will work with each person to find which approach or mix of approaches fits best. Deciding what to try is a collaborative process based on a person's goals and preferences, not a one-size-fits-all decision. The first sessions often focus on what matters most and how to take small, useful steps.

Please confirm the current session formats before booking, as the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let people use telephone or video choices to match their energy and bandwidth on any given day, and supports continuing regular contact while managing life demands.