Karen Brown

I believe that the relationship that can develop during therapy is key to facilitating awareness, self reflection and understanding. For this to happen there must be a private and safe environment, where trust can grow, encouraging the sharing of sometimes difficult and painful feelings, thoughts and experiences. Being heard and understood can allow us to make sense of life's current or previous challenges and help us to understand our own entrenched and unwelcome patterns of  behaviour. From this new choices can be made about how we live our lives and conduct our relationships. Each person's needs are different, sometimes it can be helpful to understand influences from earlier in our lives, major events and significant people - other times more helpful to be more cognitive, staying in the here and now of today's difficulties.  I believe it's important to tailor approach, methods and style according to what is needed.

My first session lasts 50 minutes and costs the same as other sessions. For the first few sessions I will be more active and engaging than later in our relationship - as I try to shape a frame in which to see you, understand some of your important life events, as well as what is making you think now is the time to come for therapy. This session gives us both a chance to see what it feels like to talk and be together, allowing me to consider whether I believe I could be of help to you and similarly providing you with the opportunity to ask any questions you may have about me and about therapy.