About Karen
Karen Spilsbury has eight years of professional experience working in the United Kingdom. She holds NCPS as a credential and focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem and the strain of life changes. Karen writes plainly and keeps sessions direct so people can start making small changes quickly.
She believes the client knows their own story best and brings that knowledge into each conversation.
How Karen works
Sessions aim to build on existing strengths and noticed skills rather than starting from zero. Karen uses straightforward tools and clear goals so progress feels practical and observable. Her work often covers relationship patterns such as attachment and codependency, as well as areas like abandonment anxiety, communication problems and commitment concerns.
She also supports people dealing with dissociation, domestic violence and recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Problems related to autism and Asperger Syndrome, avoidant personality traits and co-morbidity are included in her focus. Karen draws on a mix of approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy and client-centred work, plus hypnotherapy where appropriate.
She helps people practise new skills, try alternative responses and notice what works in everyday life. Sessions are offered in English and are delivered online. Starting therapy with Karen begins by completing a short matching questionnaire and then arranging sessions to suit the client.
Karen lists 12 ways of working on the entry:
What Karen works with
The areas below are the ones Karen selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trichotillomania
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | NCPS |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 8 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | United Kingdom |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches you can try online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without being overwhelmed by them and then focus on small actions that align with their values. It is often useful for anxiety, stress and motivation challenges. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours link together and teaches practical strategies to change unhelpful patterns; it is commonly used for anxiety, low mood and coping with life changes. Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening, empathy and building a trusting working relationship so people can find their own answers and build confidence.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Karen will talk through each option and help decide what fits your needs, goals and preferences. That choice is collaborative and can change as therapy progresses, with techniques combined or adapted to suit how you respond.
Online sessions can take place by video calls, phone, live chat or text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different schedules and circumstances. Video is helpful for deeper conversations and visual cues, phone can be easier when bandwidth is low, and chat or messaging suits shorter check-ins or people who prefer writing. These options make it simpler to maintain continuity and fit therapy into a busy life.
Start online instead of waiting
Our partner service asks a few questions about what you are looking for and matches you with a therapist for sessions from home.
Book with KarenWe will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.
Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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