About me
Hello, and welcome to my profile.
I am Karen, a Counsellor, and Certified Imago Relationship Therapist. I work with neurodivergent and mixed neurotype couples who want to be together but are struggling with the fact that they sometimes feel like enemies. Despite the pain and confusion, they are committed to identifying and accommodating the things that cannot change without masking i.e. neurodivergent traits, so that we can focus on the things that can be.
Alongside my 10+ years of professional experience in therapy, I spent several years as a therapeutic foster carer, and home educated my now grown-up, neurodivergent children.
As a late diagnosed neurodivergent person, I have a sense of what it can be like to be missed and misunderstood, and this informs the way that I work. However, I am interested in what is happening between you, and together, we will explore the impact of the experiences, needs, and communication style that you each bring to your relationship.
I have worked with couples at various stages of their relationships: newly dating to many years of marriage, new parents to empty nesters. Some couples have struggled for years to address unhelpful aspects of their relationship, whilst others want to address a niggle before it becomes something more.
Currently, my practice is solely online, as I have found that this can allow my clients to create an environment in which they feel comfortable enough to engage. Whether you have an official diagnosis, self-identify as neurodivergent, or are exploring whether neurodivergence explains some of your experiences, my aim is to meet you where are.
Ways of Working
My approach is neuro-affirming, calm, and collaborative.
My core training is in Transactional Analysis, or TA, and I integrate this with Imago Therapy, where appropriate.
A central part of Imago Therapy is the Imago Dialogue. The technique involves a structured way of speaking and listening, which can help you to move beyond defending your position, towards mutual understanding, and increased empathy. I will help you to learn how to dialogue and ask that you practice between sessions.
Our work will consider the influence of your earlier experiences on your relationship now. For instance, a comment or response that feels unreasonable, rejecting, or disproportionate in the present, may make more sense when we understand what it connects with from the past. This is not about excusing poor behaviour or deciding that the past is responsible for everything. It is about understanding enough of the context to create more choice in how you respond to each other in the present.
For neurodivergent couples, I pay particular attention to differences in communication, processing, and sensory needs and use this information to adapt the pace, structure, and language of therapy, where necessary. My aim is to find ways of communicating and relating, that work for the both of you.
The Types of Issues I Support Neurodivergent Clients With
- Affairs
- Recurring conflict and arguments
- Communication differences and misunderstandings
- Feeling unheard, criticised, or misunderstood
- Shutdown, and withdrawal during difficult conversations
- Loss of connection or increasing distance
- The impact of earlier experiences on the relationship Life Transitions
Qualifications
BACP Accredited
Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling – Transactional Analysis
Certified Imago Relationship Therapist
Advanced Diploma – Introduction to Couples Counselling (Relate level 6)
EMDR Standard Training – Parts 1-3
Additional CPD Specific to Neurodiversity
EMDR Case Formulation with Neurodivergent Clients
Working with Neurodivergent Couples and Relationships
Best Practice when Supporting Autistic Clients
ADHD in The Therapy Room