Karen Bannerman

Karen Bannerman helps people who are feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low mood or relationship strain. She uses a calm, direct approach to help clients untangle difficult feelings and find clearer ways forward. Karen's style aims to make talking about painful topics feel safer and more manageable.

With 25 years of experience, Karen draws on several ways of working to match what each person needs. She listens without judgment and focuses on building a trustworthy working relationship. Conversations usually look at how past patterns affect current life and practical steps to change unhelpful routines.

Karen has worked with people facing grief, loss, trauma and abuse, as well as mood disorders, addictions and chronic stress. She also supports those dealing with body image, parenting challenges, career stress and relationship and intimacy concerns. Additional focus areas include attachment difficulties, neurodiversity related issues, and problems linked to caring responsibilities.

Her practice follows approaches such as attachment-based work, client-centred counselling, cognitive behavioural techniques, mindfulness and psychodynamic ideas. These are used flexibly, with the emphasis on what helps the individual most. If a different agency or specialist would better meet someone's needs, she will offer signposting to suitable organisations.

Karen is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, works in the United Kingdom, and conducts sessions in English. Prospective clients are invited to make initial contact to discuss their needs and the best next steps.

Therapeutic approaches and online counselling

Attachment-based work focuses on the way early relationships shape current patterns. It helps when people notice repeating ways of relating that cause pain or distance. Client-centred counselling puts the person's own experience at the heart of the work, offering space to be heard and understood so people can find their own solutions. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact and gives practical techniques to shift mood and reduce anxiety.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and practical needs and then adapt techniques to fit the person. This is a collaborative process and plans are reviewed as progress is made.

Confirm the therapist's current session options before booking, as formats are not specified here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also help when someone prefers not to be on camera or needs a lower-bandwidth option. Registered or accredited professionals and therapists often use different ways of meeting clients, so checking the available formats will help you choose what suits everyday life best.