My name Karen Aspden and I am an independent qualified Integrative Counsellor working with individuals and couples. I work both face to face and online out of my practice in Stansted Mountfitchet and Great Dunmow.
I am an accredited member of both the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) and the British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA).
I have experience working with many different issues, some of which include depression, anxiety, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem and trauma. I specialise in bereavement and loss, in particular; perinatal loss, fertility and reproductive trauma including pregnancy loss, high-risk pregnancies, infertility and involuntary childlessness amongst others. These experiences can be very stressful and emotionally challenging, leaving leave us with low self-esteem, anxiety, complex grief, isolation, and a sense of disconnection from the world and others. Every fertility journey is unique and can be a very lonely experience. You may feel unbearable grief and experience feelings of confusion and anger – why is this happening to me? Counselling can help in providing a safe space to explore and process these feelings but can also support you in decision making and developing tools and strategies to cope.
I offer support and implications counselling (IVF, and Donor Conception) and I have experience in supporting couples and individuals through their infertility challenges whether that be before or during fertility treatments, processing of a diagnosis, deciding to end treatment, exploring being a solo mum, baby loss, ectopic pregnancy, secondary infertility, recurrent miscarriage and involuntarily childlessness. I work to the frequency that feels right for you and understand the importance of having time to process and reflect between sessions, or one session might be all you need.
I can be flexible on the frequency and time to try and meet your needs.