KM Psychotherapy Karen Morton MA (Psych & Couns) MBACP (Accred)
Psychotherapy & Counselling in Rickmansworth & Online

I am now on leave until Monday, 6th January 2025 and will respond to enquiries on that date

Please feel free to contact me for current availability, either online or in person, in my Rickmansworth therapy room (close to Amersham, Chorleywood, Croxley Green, Northwood and Watford).

I have a special interest in supporting clients with anxiety, trauma and self esteem issues, as well as chronic pain and illness

Anxiety, Trauma and Self Esteem
Being stuck in a cycle of anxiousness and/or having low self-esteem can be overwhelming and can stop you from living your life as you would like. Holding on to anxiety rather than releasing it often seems the 'right' way of managing it; sometimes we are not even aware how much we hold internally. Therapy can help you work through your anxiety, understanding and acknowledging triggers, trauma and fears, and find new ways of coping. There are many techniques that we can use to support this, and I will work with you so that we can discover which are appropriate for you.

Situations, events and experiences which are stressful, upsetting and or confusing can be traumatic. Trauma manifests itself in many different ways and takes many different forms. Being rejected, abandoned, humiliated, unsupported, harmed, or witnessing harm, growing up in difficult circumstances, racial, cultural, gender and/or sexual identity discrimination or harassment, to name a few. Trauma may be stored in your body for years, and then something happens which triggers that experience. We know, for instance, that adverse childhood experiences can be triggered many years later, and unprocessed trauma can lead to issues in your adult life, such as anxiety, depression, addiction and both physical and mental health disorders. Trauma is stored and imprinted in your body not with words, but rather in emotions and sensations. Understanding your triggers and where appropriate, working through the trauma will not change what happened to you in the past, but it will enable you to live better in the present and going forward.

If you are experiencing physical symptoms such as headaches, IBS, joint pain or fibromyalgia, for example, your body may be literally carrying or holding the weight of your anxiety and trauma. We can consider whether a more holistic mind-body approach will help you – exploring the connection between your physical symptoms and your anxiety and trauma. I welcome the opportunity to support you to identify patterns, develop strategies and to develop further insight and perspective to resolve personal issues and find new ways forward.

Chronic Pain and Chronic Illness
I also work with clients living with chronic pain and chronic illness, such as chronic migraines, IBS, Chronic Fatigue/ME, fibromyalgia and autoimmune conditions. Treatment for chronic conditions is mainly focused on managing, often debilitating, physical symptoms. However, the psychological and emotional impact of these conditions and symptoms are equally relevant and important.

I will listen, hear and believe you, working alongside you with empathy and without judgment. Since your mind and body are connected, both your physical and psychological symptoms need addressing from a holistic mind-body perspective, whatever the cause. You might have a diagnosis and are in a great deal of pain which is becoming steadily more intense. Perhaps, for example, you have been investigated for numerous conditions and illnesses and the cause for your pain cannot be found on a blood test, MRI or x-ray. All pain is created in our brains, whether it is caused by a structural or emotional cause; the pain you experience is no different, whether or not a doctor can find the cause. Our understanding of pain has shifted greatly in recent years and neuroscience research has recognised pain's biopsychosocial component. For more information, please see my article here.

I will support you holistically to live an enriched life. We can utilise various techniques and will decide together which are appropriate for you. Whatever the cause of your pain, a mind body approach may be of great benefit in pain and symptom reduction.

As an experienced psychotherapist, as well as a SIRPA (Stress Illness Recovery Practitioners’ Association) trained practitioner, I support clients with adverse childhood experiences (‘ACE’s’) and trauma, as we safely explore the link between your physical and psychological symptoms, and where appropriate incorporating and/or adapting the SIRPA approach, with psychotherapy.

I am an experienced face-to-face and online psychotherapist and counsellor, working online, via video and telephone and face-to-face.

I offer you my warmth, empathy and compassion, without judgment, and I welcome the opportunity to work alongside you, as we navigate through even the most difficult times in your life.