Counsellor profile
Karen Spilsbury, NCPS
Counsellor - stress and anxiety support
See online counselling options- Stress and anxiety
- Addictions support
- Client-centred work
About Karen
Karen Spilsbury is a counsellor registered with the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) with eight years of practice in the United Kingdom. She works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, and coping with life changes. Karen focuses on helping individuals build on their own strengths as they face difficult problems.
She adopts a straightforward, person-centred style in sessions. She listens to what matters to the client and helps them notice patterns in thoughts, feelings and behaviour. She uses practical strategies from therapies such as cognitive behavioural approaches and acceptance and commitment work to support change.
Over the years Karen has supported people managing substance and alcohol issues and those affected by relationship breakdown, domestic violence and traumatic events. She also works with concerns linked to attachment, abandonment and codependency. Sessions can cover coping skills, emotion regulation and making changes step by step.
Karen draws on a mix of client-centred listening, DBT-style skills for managing strong emotions, and hypnotherapy where appropriate. She aims to help people try new ways of responding to stress and difficult memories, and to build small, workable routines.
If someone is thinking about starting counselling they complete a short matching form and then arrange a first session. Costs vary by location and the service uses a subscription that can be cancelled at any time. Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not accepted.
Therapeutic approaches and how online counselling can work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and then choose actions that match their values. It is often used for anxiety, stress and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and gives practical techniques for changing patterns that keep problems going.Client-Centred Therapy means the counsellor listens without directing the story. This approach can help people feel heard and begin to make sense of difficult experiences. Together the counsellor and client decide which approaches to try and adjust them as work progresses.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Karen will talk with the client about goals and preferences and then suggest techniques from ACT, CBT, client-centred work or DBT-style skills. The plan is collaborative and can change as progress is made.
Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm the current options before booking. Many people find online counselling easier to fit into a busy day because it removes travel and can fit around work or family commitments. It can also make shorter check-ins possible and allow sessions where being on camera is optional, depending on the chosen format. Registered or accredited professionals often use these practical benefits to support ongoing work.
Areas of expertise
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
8+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does she help with most often?
Karen works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem and coping with life changes.
What is her therapeutic style?
She uses a person-centred way of working combined with techniques from cognitive behavioural therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy.
How long has she been practising?
She has eight years of professional experience working with people in the United Kingdom.
Which credential does she hold?
She is registered with the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).
Can I have sessions in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What formats are available for sessions?
Please confirm current session options before booking as formats are not specified in the profile.
How are fees handled and how do I start?
Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time. To begin, complete the short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session via the See online counselling options button.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A membership or registration can be checked on the professional body's own register.
Online counselling is not emergency care. In an emergency call 999, or see the help numbers.