Karen Hurworth

Counsellor working with children, adolescents and adults (online only)

MA Psychology and Special Needs Education, MA counselling, BS Education Registered member of British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

Background & Experience

Karen is passionate about supporting adults, adolescents and children live fuller and more meaningful lives. Karen’s therapeutic approach is integrative, and person centered, drawing on evidence-based approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Theory (ACT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Gottman’s Couples Method, to meet her clients’ individual needs. She believes in having clients set their own goals for therapy and will work collaboratively with you to decide upon a plan toward reaching each goal through evidence-based approaches.

Karen has extensive experience of working with adults who are experiencing depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, work-life balance, career decisions, suicide ideation and finding life purpose. She enjoys using intervention from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help her adult clients explore their values and find a deeper purpose in their life. Karen finds a balance between listening and teaching the tools necessary to overcome life’s challenges.

Therapeutic approach

Karen is passionate about supporting adults, adolescents and children live fuller and more meaningful lives. Karen’s therapeutic approach is integrative, and person-centered, drawing on evidence-based approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Theory (ACT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy, Mindfulness, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Gottman’s Couples Method, to meet her clients’ individual needs. She believes in having clients set their own goals for therapy and will work collaboratively with you to decide upon a plan toward reaching each goal through evidence-based approaches.

Working with children

Karen also has extensive experience working with children and adolescents. She leans on her thirty years of classroom experience and her understanding of child development, behavior management school anxiety, and peer relationships in school-aged children to inform her work. Karen uses elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour to support children and adolescents presenting with a number of challenges including anxiety, depression, social issues and gender issues.

Her warm approach has helped numerous children to navigate the challenges of growing up. Karen loves working with adolescents. She quickly develops trust and connection while working closely with parents. She recognises the complexity of this stage of life and is mindful of the difficulties between the parent child dyad during this time. Some difficulties she has helped clients overcome include anxiety, family and peer relationship issues, self-harm, eating disorders, OCD, and gender identity.

Client Testimonials

“Karen is a treasure. With patience and sensitivity, she helped me through a difficult time in my life, allowing me the space to express myself, giving me permission to feel what I am feeling instead of keeping it locked up, and imparting some valuable tools for emotional regulation. I appreciated how practical and goal-oriented the therapy was, with elements of life coaching and accountability for goals, on top of the talk therapy and ACT approach. Karen’s skill as a listener and kindness as a human shine through - I felt seen, understood and accepted.”

“Working with Karen, I’ve found her approach to be rooted in empathy and understanding, which created a space for trust and communication. She listens when I want to feel heard, and she counsels when I need to be supported. She supplements sessions with homework, research, reading, and other materials as she deems necessary and helpful. Her attention to detail and care for clients are very apparent through her consistent following up and checking in, never making me feel as though our work together is limited to the start and close of each session. Working with Karen has been immensely helpful, the depths of which are difficult to convey with words.”

“Karen has all the qualities a good therapist should have - she listens to you, empathizes with you, supports you…you name it. But on top of all these, her multi-national experience enables her to understand people who are not from the United States. I enjoy very much the sessions with her, it was Karen who I share sorrows and joys with and who saved me so many times from those darkest days in my life. I would highly recommend her without any reservation.”

“I met Karen almost 4 years ago. It was rather serendipitous as a colleague posted a list of Western therapists in a chat group. I am an American teacher living in Beijing and knew that I wanted a woman and Western therapist. My first choice on the list was unable to take me on as a client but she gave me a few referrals. Karen was at the top. She lived in my area and close to my school. Karen was a perfect choice for me! Best thing I could have done for myself and mental well-being. I had a lot of issues and self-doubts all compounded by living overseas. Karen is a genuine, caring and empathetic person. This comes across immediately. She helped me with work, family, personal relations, and a death in the family. When Covid hit and I was unable to get home, she continued our work together and I know that it was with this work that helped me through those very unique struggles. When she left Beijing, she offered to continue our work together online. We continue our work as I face new challenges with transitioning to life back home. I’m so very glad that Karen is here for me.”