Karen Bannerman, BACP - Therapist in United Kingdom

Attachment based
Client centred
CBT techniques

About Karen

Karen Bannerman is a BACP counsellor based in the United Kingdom with 25 years of experience. She helps people who are coping with stress, anxiety, low mood and depression, relationship and family concerns, and the effects of trauma and abuse. Karen also works with issues such as grief, addiction, self-esteem, career worries and ADHD-related difficulties.

People can expect straightforward conversations that focus on what is happening now and what they want to change. Karen uses practical talking and listening to help people make sense of difficult feelings and decisions. She will suggest ways to manage symptoms and try out new approaches between meetings.

Her practice draws on attachment-based ideas about how early relationships shape current patterns. She also uses client-centred methods that prioritise the person's experience, and cognitive behavioural techniques to identify unhelpful thinking and behaviour. Mindfulness and psychodynamic perspectives are available where they fit the work.

Karen aims to treat people with respect and dignity. If a different kind of support would be more helpful, she will signpost to an appropriate agency or organisation.

For people in the young adult stage dealing with leaving home, work pressures, study stress, money worries, relationship changes or feeling behind, Karen offers a practical, conversational approach. To arrange a first meeting, follow the site's booking steps and complete the short matching questionnaire.

How Karen's approaches translate to online sessions

Attachment-based work looks at patterns in close relationships and how early bonds shape current reactions. Online conversations can uncover these patterns and focus on changing repeating behaviours that cause strain in friendships and romantic relationships.

Client-centred practice places the person's experience at the centre. In an online session this means the counsellor listens, reflects and follows what matters most to the client so they can make their own decisions. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and habits and then try different ways of thinking and acting. Online meetings can include practical exercises and short tasks to practise between sessions.

Finding the right mix of methods is part of the work. Karen will discuss options with each person and decide together which approaches match the issues, goals and preferences presented in early meetings. That collaborative choice can be revisited as progress is made.

Session formats are not specified in the supplied biography, so please confirm current online options before booking. Online meetings can be helpful for fitting therapy into study, work or busy life routines, making it easier to attend from different locations, reduce travel time and schedule shorter check-ins when needed.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuse Grief Depression

Also works with

Addictions LGBTFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issues Communication problems Control issuesDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesForgiveness Guilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivity Infidelity Isolation / loneliness Jealousy Life purpose Men's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issues Multicultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discrimination Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexuality Social anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issues Workplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Mindfulness TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

25+ years

Listed in

United Kingdom

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she work with?

She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions and related concerns.

What is her approach in sessions?

She combines attachment-based, client-centred and cognitive behavioural methods, with mindfulness and psychodynamic perspectives when appropriate.

How long has she been working in counselling?

She has 25 years of professional experience in the United Kingdom.

What credential does she hold and where is she based?

She is registered with the BACP and works from the United Kingdom.

Can sessions be held in other languages?

Sessions are offered in English.

Does she work with international clients?

International clients are not currently accepted.

How does payment work and what does it cost?

Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.

Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.