Karen Yuen, BACP

Karen Yuen is a BACP registered counsellor in the United Kingdom with eight years of experience working across NHS Direct, low-cost community services and spiritual settings. As a British East Asian woman of mixed heritage, she brings personal insight into how culture, family values and diverse life experiences shape identity, relationships and wellbeing. Karen combines clinical training with lived experience to create a compassionate, culturally aware approach to therapy.

Karen works in an integrative way, drawing on person-centred principles, EMDR and trauma-focused methods alongside cognitive and spiritual perspectives. Her practice is grounded in trauma-informed, compassionate inquiry and she aims to offer an empathic, informal and non-judgemental space where people can be heard and understood. She supports clients in exploring how family dynamics, upbringing and past experiences influence current beliefs, behaviours and emotional patterns so that those patterns can be examined and changed.

Her work includes practical tools such as mindfulness, body awareness, breathing exercises, role play and visualisation when they suit a client’s needs. Karen’s qualifications include a BSc (Hons) in Counselling and Therapeutic Studies, a postgraduate certificate in Daily Living and Wellbeing, and several CPD certificates including EMDR and training in recovery from coercive and spiritual abuse. She is a Registered Member of the BACP - the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - and adheres to its Code of Conduct and Ethical Framework.

Karen offers therapy to individuals aged 18 and over on either a short-term or long-term basis, adapting her approach to each person’s goals and circumstances. Prospective clients are invited to check her schedule for availability or send a message to discuss whether she might be the right fit.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Karen uses Client-Centred Therapy to prioritise the client’s own perspective - this approach focuses on active listening, empathy and helping people explore their feelings and values so they can make choices that feel authentic and self-confirming. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing - EMDR - is an evidence-informed method Karen uses for processing distress linked to traumatic memories; it involves structured sessions that help reduce the intensity of painful recollections and associated emotions. Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on understanding and addressing the impact of traumatic experiences, supporting people to identify patterns, regulate strong emotions and build more adaptive coping responses.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic journey and Karen works collaboratively with each person to choose methods that fit their needs, goals and preferences. She will discuss options, adjust techniques over time and combine approaches when that better serves the client’s progress.

Online therapy with Karen is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to provide flexibility and accessibility. These options make it easier to fit therapy around work, family and other commitments, allow continuity when attending in person is difficult, and enable clients to engage from familiar surroundings while working with registered professionals and therapists focused on practical, effective support.