Karen Spilsbury

Karen Spilsbury is an NCPS counsellor practising in the United Kingdom with eight years of professional experience. She works with people who are coping with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem and life changes. Karen focuses on practical support and clear steps rather than abstract labels. Karen believes clients know their own stories and that those strengths can be used to face difficult issues. In sessions she listens, reflects and helps people identify small changes that can reduce overwhelm. She uses a mix of approaches to suit each person's situation. Her background includes work with difficulties linked to attachment and abandonment, compulsive or addictive behaviours, and the emotional effects of separation and domestic violence. She also supports people dealing with dissociation, complex mood problems and challenges related to autism and Asperger Syndrome. Therapy with Karen often involves learning new coping skills, reviewing unhelpful patterns, and practising different ways of responding to triggers. She draws on evidence-based methods such as cognitive behavioural techniques, acceptance and commitment ideas, and elements of dialectical behaviour work. Karen also uses client-centred principles and hypnotherapy where appropriate. People who come to her for support tend to want straightforward guidance, practical tools and a steady, step-by-step process for moving forward. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and book an initial session.

Therapeutic approaches and online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to notice unhelpful thoughts and commit to actions that reflect their values. It can help when someone feels stuck or unsure which direction to take. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying thoughts and behaviours that keep problems going, and teaching practical techniques to change them. This approach is useful for anxiety, stress and unhelpful habits. Client-Centred Therapy places the person and their experience at the centre of sessions, with listening and reflection used to help people clarify what matters and make choices that fit their life.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Karen will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most useful, and then try methods that suit the client. That decision is collaborative and can change as progress is made.

Confirm the exact online session options before booking because the biography does not state formats. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow short check-ins during a lunch break or between other commitments. Some approaches, such as CBT or ACT exercises, adapt well to remote sessions and can be practised between appointments to build new habits.