- Person-centred focus
- Trauma experience
- 18 years practice
About Karen
Karen Bell is a UK counsellor with 18 years of experience. She is a member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). Karen places the person and their feelings at the centre of each session and works without judgement to help people talk through painful experiences and daily stresses.
Karen has worked in a variety of settings including GP surgeries, trauma services and as an occupational health counsellor. That work brought hands-on experience with stress, anxiety, depression, bereavement and trauma. She has supported people who have self-harmed, felt suicidal, or experienced child sexual abuse and other major losses.
Her approach is warm and direct. Sessions focus on what matters to the individual and on building a trusting working relationship. Karen encourages people to describe their needs and special interests so therapy can be shaped around them.
People contact Karen about a wide range of concerns such as relationship pain, addiction, eating and sleeping problems, grief, parenting strain, anger, and issues around intimacy and self-esteem. She also works with neurodivergent clients and those who identify as LGBT, and is open to discussing how identity affects wellbeing.
Karen uses several clinical approaches when they suit a person’s needs, including attachment-based and client-centred work, cognitive behavioural ideas and methods for processing trauma. She aims to help people find practical ways to cope and to make clearer choices about next steps.
Karen has worked in a variety of settings including GP surgeries, trauma services and as an occupational health counsellor. That work brought hands-on experience with stress, anxiety, depression, bereavement and trauma. She has supported people who have self-harmed, felt suicidal, or experienced child sexual abuse and other major losses.
Her approach is warm and direct. Sessions focus on what matters to the individual and on building a trusting working relationship. Karen encourages people to describe their needs and special interests so therapy can be shaped around them.
People contact Karen about a wide range of concerns such as relationship pain, addiction, eating and sleeping problems, grief, parenting strain, anger, and issues around intimacy and self-esteem. She also works with neurodivergent clients and those who identify as LGBT, and is open to discussing how identity affects wellbeing.
Karen uses several clinical approaches when they suit a person’s needs, including attachment-based and client-centred work, cognitive behavioural ideas and methods for processing trauma. She aims to help people find practical ways to cope and to make clearer choices about next steps.
How Karen’s approaches translate to online therapy
Attachment-based work looks at how early relationships shape current patterns. It helps people understand trust, closeness and reactions to loss or rejection and is useful for relationship-related worries and intimacy issues. Client-centred counselling focuses on listening, empathy and the person’s own pace. It aims to make it easier to talk about difficult feelings and to find personal insight and direction. Cognitive behavioural ideas help identify unhelpful thoughts and habits and try small practical changes that reduce anxiety or improve sleep and mood.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Karen will discuss different methods together and decide what feels most helpful based on the client's goals, needs and preferences. Therapy is collaborative and adjusted as progress is made.
The biography notes chat, phone and video as ways she has worked, but please confirm the current session options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when time is tight, and remove the need to travel. They also permit people to use video, phone or messaging depending on what suits them on a given day.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
LGBTFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryTrichotillomaniaVisually impairedWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)HypnotherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
18+ years
Credentials
See below
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Karen help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, depression, grief and many related concerns listed on her profile.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her work is person-centred and non-judgemental, focusing on what you bring to sessions and building a trusting relationship to talk things through.
How much experience does she have?
She has 18 years of counselling experience, including roles in GP surgeries, trauma services and occupational health counselling.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and is based in the United Kingdom.
Which languages and international clients are supported?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography mentions chat, phone and video as ways she works; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees and billing handled?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Choose the continue button on this profile, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session according to the therapist's availability.