East London Therapy
Karen Sheinman
tel: 0771 374 8058

I have been working with Karen for some years now. When I first went to see her I was feeling a poor excuse of a human being. Addicted to alcohol, prescribed medication, self harming and severely depressed.

It's been a long journey of self discovery and recovery. Luckily I found the right person to restore a sense of trust and safety that was missing within me, to embark on and through this process. Her consistent support, encouragement, understanding and commitment has allowed me to rebuild my life, and put all of the pieces of me back together.

I felt safe with Karen through this journey undoing all the layers of pain and deprivation. She has given me a safe place to work through early frustrations and losses in the 'hear and now'.

I would highly recommend Karen as she is sincere, empathic, caring and a true professional.

Just wanted to say thank you for the life-coaching / counselling sessions!.....and for all your support. x



Hi Karen

I hope you are doing well and keeping warm in this freezing weather.

I just wanted to tell you, that today I had my Annual Review at work... and.... it was excellent. I had the highest review than anyone else on my team and I am so happy and proud of myself.

A year ago at that same review, I was told I needed to improve my confidence... which was one of the reasons that I started seeing you - and with the time I spent with you this year it helped me greatly improve my confidence, so much so, that I got a super review and people said some really nice things about me in the feedback.

All that hard work has paid off and I am so proud of myself, and I thought telling you would make you smile.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I just wanted you to know that I appreciate you, Thank you for being you.

When I first thought about finding someone to talk to, I was having problems being in a social situation in a confined space such as an office, shop, pub or restaurant. The thought of meeting a counsellor in an office or consulting room brought on a sense of panic and stopped me seeking help.

“Walk and talk” was the perfect way to overcome this. I was at ease being outdoors for the first session and found walking and talking easier than sitting in a room.

As the weeks have gone on, I find that I can talk through issues and exercise at the same time. I have become better in situations such as being in a pub or restaurant but still enjoy being outdoors walking when I can.

As the session have gone on, I have also enjoyed meeting for coffee after walking as I feel more relaxed in this situation.

Although it hasn’t worried me, I could see that some people might worry about discussing confidential problems out in the open. I find that when I am talking, I am unaware of other people around me.

Well, you havent heard from me, which has to be a good thing. You obviously did a good job! I've taken the summer off work and had the most chilled time.....thank you for being such a wonderful support throughout 2007/8. I'm sure we'll be meeting for the occasional session at some point - so that you can help me keep myself on track! xxx

I first started seeing Karen because I felt unhappy and didn't know what to do about it. Over the years she has helped me to understand my thought processes and explore why I think the way I do. Most importantly I have learnt to accept the way I am, and stop being judgemental about myself, accepting that it is ok to make mistakes.

I have learnt coping strategies and techniques for dealing with situations I feel uncomfortable with. I became a more confident, less introverted person as I found that saying things in the open rather than keeping them in my head lessons their negative impact. Working with Karen has been challenging, often emotional, sometimes humerous, occasionally frustrating, but definitely the most important and worthwhile thing I have ever undertaken for myself.

Karen, I just wanted to say a big thank you for helping me through a difficult couple of years. I was at a very low point with my OCD when I first met with you back in September 2007. I remember many emotional sessions at the beginning, and you were always on hand with a box of tissues! It’s strange looking back and realising exactly how far I have come. Some of it has been hard to deal with, frustrating and upsetting. However, most importantly, my experience has been rewarding and a huge turning point in my life. I thank you for that.

I feel I now have the tools to manage my OCD and I will continue to improve as time goes on. I couldn’t have done it without you.

If you are reading this thinking of getting help with any problems you may have, trust me, you are in a safe pair of hands with Karen.

"I have been to see Karen at various points in my life, and I have always found her to be non-judgemental and incredibly supportive. Most recently, when I was feeling quite unhappy about where I was in my life (single and not knowing how to react to my emotions about this), Karen helped me to hear myself, and she pointed out that I have to be my own best friend and look after myself.


One of the things that I love about Karen is that she's not afraid to say what she thinks, whilst at the same time she never put words in my mouth! I always felt safe when expressing myself, and I am still working on trusting myself and listening to myself...the difference now is that I have a wonderful husband to trundle down the path of life with! And I was overjoyed that Karen came to the wedding ceremony to see how truly happy I was on my wedding day, and still am now!!!"

I had always been a 'together' person, in control, knowing where I was going etc. Suddenly my life fell apart - my now ex-husband was in the depth of an alchoholic phase and tried to commit suicide and the man who had asked me to marry him let me down. My ex-husband's mother almost died in hospital, while he was away in rehab ..... .

Karen was a lifeline - she was a marvellous support and always there when I needed her. With her help, I got through those terrible months and regained my self worth and confidence. It is good to know she is still there and cares.

Karen was recommended to me when I was going through a very difficult period.
when I look back to the flat, empty person just existing as opposed to the happy, content, active person who's actually living now, there really is no comparison.

Karen gave me a safe, calm environment in which to air, understand and tackle the experiences and problems in my life.