Karen Nolan

TA Saturdays Therapy Group 

I convene a monthly transactional analysis psychotherapy group. The group meets once a month on Saturday mornings for 90 minutes. 

This is a hybrid group with most of the sessions taking place online and some held in-person at the Old Courts in Wigan town centre.  Sessions are programmed 12 months in advance. 

This is an open-ended group which means that you can remain in the group until you feel ready to leave

The group, which consists of up to eight members plus me the therapist, is currently full.  Please enquire about availability for new members in 2025. 

Creative Dreamers - Dream Sharing Groups

" A dream is like a letter, from home, baked in a pie," Clarissa Pinkola Estés. 

Dream sharing offers a creative opportunity to explore your inner world and your relationship with the external world through dialogue with others. 

Please enquire for details of monthly dream sharing groups online and in-person options available. 

All of my therapy and therapeutic groups are for adults age 18 and over. I offer an inclusive, welcoming and creative space. 

Out of Office 

I aim to respond to enquiries within 48 hours. However during holidays and weekends replies may take a little longer.

I'm an experienced individual and group psychotherapist based in the Northwest of England. I have a Level 7 diploma in advanced transactional analysis and an IGA diploma in groupwork practice. 

Why Group Psychotherapy? 

Group Therapy is an opportunity to experience yourself in a group and discover more about yourself and your relationships in the company of others.

A Transactional Analysis Therapy Group is a place to explore relationship problems, work and social issues, life transitions, feelings of isolation, past traumas and losses. It provides multiple perspectives and offers the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others as well as from the therapist.

Being in a therapy group offers a sense of belonging and opportunities for personal insight and growth. It can be an enriching and transformational experience.

Group Therapy can help with:

• exploring and improving relationships,
  
• dealing with anxiety and depression,
  
• improving confidence and self-esteem and reducing social anxiety,
  
• exploring aspects of identity, diversity, community and belonging,
  
• feelings of guilt, shame, anger, frustration or loneliness,
  
• coping in the aftermath of painful or traumatic events,
  
• career difficulties and work related stress.
  

You will benefit from group therapy with me if you:

• Have an interest in experiencing group therapy.
  
• Wish to learn more about your way of being and relating to others. 
  
• Are curious about how past experiences might be affecting your choices and relationships in the present.
  
• Have a desire to connect with others and share experiences.
  
• Feel comfortable working online. 

My online groups currently take place  using the Zoom video conferencing platform.

To participate you will need:

• Access to a laptop, PC, Mac or tablet and internet connection.
  
• A quiet, private space for therapy where you will not be interrupted or overheard.
  

Prior to joining you will receive a list of dates and times and instructions for joining the Zoom room.

For in-person groups I will provide you with venue details before you join the group, so that you can make travel arrangements. 

Group Membership

My therapy groups consist of up to eight members, plus me as the group therapist. I decide on the membership giving careful thought to the composition of the group and areas of potential common ground between members.

New Members

There will be an initial consultation and assessment session, this is free, lasts around 50 minutes and usually takes place online. If we decide that group therapy might be a good approach for you, then we will have some individual sessions to prepare for joining the group, these are charged at my usual rate of £60 per session. 

Ethical Working 

I am committed to ethical and anti-discriminatory practice. I am a registered member of BACP and work in accordance with their ethical framework. 

Getting Started 

If you are interested please get in touch and we will arrange an initial one to one consultation. The consultation is free, takes place on Zoom and lasts around 50 minutes. This is an opportunity for you to tell me more about your current situation, reasons for starting therapy and for us to think together about how you might benefit from therapy in a group. 

Preparing for Group Therapy

Following the initial consultation, we will schedule a minimum of three, and more if needed, individual online sessions to prepare for joining the group. This is an opportunity for us to get to know each other better and develop a working alliance. We will use the time to explore what you would like from group therapy, your previous experiences of groups and your feelings about  joining a therapy group.  Please note the individual session fee is £60 per 50 minutes.  

Current Fees 

• Initial Online Consultation - free 
• Individual Online Sessions to Prepare - £60 per 50 minutes
• Group Therapy is from £25 per 90 minute session 

Experienced Transactional Analysis Psychotherapist based in Greater Manchester working online and in-person.  

Hours of Work

Monday 1.00 PM  to 7.45 PM  online 

Tuesday 8.30 AM to  8.00 PM online 

Wednesday 9.30 AM to 12.00 midday online 

Wednesday 2.30 PM to 6.30 PM in person 

Thursday 2.30 PM to 8.00 PM online 

Friday 9.30 AM to 1.30 PM online 

Appointments available within these times, particularly evenings, tend to fill up very quickly,  so please enquire about current availability. 

I aim to reply to enquiries within 48 hours. At busy times, weekends and holidays response times will be longer. 

I am taking time off from 8 August to 1 September inclusive. I will be checking my email during this time, so if you're interested in working with me in the Autumn, please contact me to enquire about availability and to arrange a free consultation. 

About Me 

I'm a compassionate therapist with a warm, respectful approach. I offer a safe, confidential space where you will feel heard, accepted and understood.    

My Approach

I work psychodynamically with individuals and groups using Transactional Analysis (TA). TA is an integrative therapy with roots in psychoanalysis. It offers a framework for better understanding ourselves, others and the world. 

TA helps us make connections between our past experiences and the present.  By understanding our thoughts, feelings, behaviour and ways of relating, we can recognise and choose to change what is no longer serving us.  For example, you may notice similar destructive patterns repeating in your personal or professional life. TA provides a framework for exploring these patterns so that you can make changes in the present.  

TA therapy can help reduce depression, anxiety and overwhelm, improve our relationships, boost creativity and enhance feelings of connection, belonging and self-esteem. 

The focus and content of our work will be determined by you and what you want to achieve. We'll think about this together and set some overarching goals. 

You'll benefit most from therapy with me, if you're open to self-reflection.  I enjoy working therapeutically with dreams, stories, art and metaphor. My aim is for you to leave therapy with a stronger sense of self and feeling more confident and resourceful. 

Background 

I began working as a psychotherapist in 2015. My experience includes a mix of private practice and voluntary work. My professional background is varied. I studied French and Italian language and literature and for short periods lived in Canada and Italy. I've worked in community development, equalities, human resources and as assistant director for a housing organisation. 

Qualifications and Professional Registration

Level 7 Diploma in Advanced Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy.  

IGA Diploma in Groupwork Practice

I abide by the BACP professional standards and code of ethics. 

My Practice 

I set up my private practice KN Psychotherapy and Wellbeing in 2017 from my base in Greater Manchester. 

Currently, I work mostly online and accept clients from across the UK.  I am very experienced at working both in-person and online. I have access to consulting rooms in Manchester and Wigan, WN3. 

From November 2024, I have a space opening up on Wednesday afternoon weekly, in-person therapy. These spaces are specifically for long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy and sessions will take place in Wigan, WN3. If this is of interest please contact me for more information. 

I value working with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds and I'm committed to anti-discriminatory practice. 

I work with individuals and groups. My areas of special interest include ADHD, neurodiversity, creativity and childhood trauma. 

Free Consultation 

I offer a free online consultation. This takes around 50 minutes and is an opportunity to tell me more about yourself and your reasons for starting therapy. I will answer any questions you have about my approach. We can think about how we might work together and whether this type of therapy is right for you at this time.  

The therapeutic relationship is a very personal one. It is important that you find a therapist who you feel you can relate to. The initial consultation is intended to help you to decide if you would like to work with me, and if we are going to be working online whether you are comfortable with this method.  

Getting Started 

If you choose to go ahead, there is some admin to complete before the first session. Usually we will  do this by email after the initial consultation. 

The first few therapy sessions are often about building the relationship, getting a better understanding of where you’re at right now and exploring in more detail you want from therapy.

Frequency and Duration 

This is something we talk through at the initial session and review as we go along. 

As a guide, usually I see clients for individual therapy once a week for 50 minutes. Depending on your preference, I can accommodate longer 90 minute sessions. Fortnightly and twice weekly appointments are also an option we can explore. 

The number of sessions depends on what you would like to work on. I offer both time-limited and open-ended therapy.  

In the course of our work together, there is the opportunity, if you wish to learn some TA tools and techniques. My aim is that when you decide you're ready to end therapy, you feel more resourceful and have developed good self-care strategies and a plan of what is next for you.