Karen Barnitt

• Addictions
• Trauma work
• Client-centred

About Karen

Karen Barnitt works with people on addiction, trauma, relationship and parenting concerns using a client-centred approach and trauma-focused methods. She is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, BACP, and has 13 years of experience in the field.

Karen keeps sessions straightforward and focused on what matters to the person in front of her. She helps people talk through stress, anxiety, depression and relationship problems. She also supports those coping with life changes, career questions, and difficulties connected to parenting, adoption or foster care.

Her work includes addressing trauma and abuse, helping people process painful experiences and reduce their day-to-day impact. She uses narrative work to help clients separate themselves from painful stories and to find different ways of seeing their lives. Karen also draws on client-centred practice, which foregrounds the person’s own goals and pace.

Karen has spent over a decade developing practical ways to manage substance misuse, compulsive behaviours and intimacy-related issues. She works with concerns around body image, BDSM and alternative sex culture, postpartum depression, and compassion fatigue among carers.

Sessions aim to build coping strategies, reduce isolation and improve self-esteem. Karen encourages a collaborative working relationship where people set clear goals and review progress. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.

She practises in the United Kingdom and works in English only. Her BACP membership is listed as BACP in her credentials.

How her approaches are used in online counselling

Karen uses client-centred work to keep the person’s goals central, encouraging them to set the pace and topics for each session. Client-centred counselling helps with low self-esteem, stress and relationship concerns by focusing on what the individual wants to change.

Narrative therapy in her practice looks at the stories people tell about themselves and their lives. This approach can help with identity questions, body image and relationship patterns by separating the person from the problem and opening up new ways of seeing issues.

Trauma-focused methods are used to address the effects of past abuse and traumatic events. These methods aim to reduce the everyday impact of those experiences and to develop practical strategies for coping with triggers and emotional distress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work and is decided together. The counsellor will discuss goals, preferences and what has helped or not helped before, then try approaches that fit the client’s needs. This is a collaborative process and may be reviewed as therapy progresses.

Session arrangements should be confirmed before booking, as this biography does not specify formats. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Check the session options available when you book to see how they might suit everyday life.

Topics Karen lists

• Addictions
• Trauma and abuse
• Intimacy-related issues
• Parenting issues
• Self-esteem
• Stress and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Family conflicts
• Career difficulties
• Depression
• Coping with life changes
• Coaching
• Compassion fatigue
• ADHD
• Adoption and foster care
• BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
• Body image
• Caregiver issues and stress
• Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
• Divorce and separation
• Domestic violence
• Drug and alcohol addiction
• Family of origin issues
• Family problems
• Guilt and shame
• Isolation and loneliness
• Life purpose
• Veteran and armed forces issues
• Postpartum depression
• Post-traumatic stress
• Process addictions
• Self-harm
• Self-love
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Women's issues

Ways of working

• Client-Centred Therapy
• Narrative Therapy
• Trauma-Focused Therapy

Questions about Karen

Does she work with anxiety and depression?

Yes. She supports people experiencing anxiety and depression using practical coping strategies and conversation-based therapy.

What kind of counselling does she offer?

She uses client-centred counselling, narrative therapy and trauma-focused approaches to address personal concerns and past experiences.

What is her experience in the field?

She has 13 years of experience working with a wide range of issues including addiction, trauma and relationship concerns.

Is she a registered professional in the UK?

Yes. She is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, listed as BACP.

Can I have sessions in other languages?

Sessions are offered in English.

Does she see international clients?

No. International clients are not currently accepted.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I start counselling with her?

Select the Talk to a counsellor online button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.