Karl Uwe Hartke

Hello,

and thank you for stopping on this page.

What has brought you here? Some pain or sorrow rooted in the past, or an adversity you are having to face?  Now it impacts on your life, and maybe on the lives of those around you. It is now too much to carry on your own. At times, it may feel overwhelming.

And yet, you are here, looking at counsellors' profiles, looking for potential support. Good - have taken the first step.

Can you take the next step? Actually contact someone?

And can it make a difference?

Yes, it can make a difference.

I'd like the chance to listen to your story. I'd like to provide the calm space, with enough time to put into words and share what鈥檚 been on your mind for so long, to listen closely, and ask questions to get what it's really like for you.

And feeling really listened to, maybe for the first time in a long while, that alone can be a huge relief.**

For some of my clients, that seemed enough. By talking through what they do, how they think and feel, they'd reached a new insight into themselves and their situation, and found a way to move forward. 

Other clients want to keep working with me: On the changes they need and want in their life, and on the skills and tools they need to make that happen. I鈥檇 love to work with you on that, to explore how you could think and feel differently, feel better, until you are confident that you can maintain this, consistently, on your own.

If you want to find out how I could help you, please arrange an informal chat by leaving a phone message (voice or text), or using the contact form on this website: 15-20 minutes - no costs, no obligations. That'll give you a better sense of me, how we might work together, and most importantly, whether you feel comfortable sharing your most private stories, thoughts and feelings with me.

Or, If you'd like a "live" experience of  counselling/therapy, I offer a trial bundle of 2 sessions for 拢90 (if paid in advance).

(**NB: Some people seem to get this sense from "talking"  (effectively exchanging words) with AI chatbots. AI uses algorithms to reply to you with the statistically most likely word sequence. In contrast, Counsellors deliberately tune into what you say without words, and we look for the statistically less likely things that make you uniquely you!!)

For me, therapy is about improving your quality of life. How I 鈥渄o therapy鈥� is influenced by my background: I was born and brought up in Germany (yes: Accent, being serious, sense of humour ...) and have lived and worked in the UK for 30+ years. My experience and qualifications in education (PE, languages), coaching and counselling, business, and music, gave me some usefully different views on life, people, and how they go about changing things. 

I approach therapy pragmatically, choosing approaches or "tools" that will work for you and are appropriate to what we are dealing with. And I will always explain things first, and give you the option to decline, if you don't feel ready.

I also think that regular, weekly, 50-minute sessions are not always the best option (although, initially, 鈥渨eekly鈥� really helps). I'll be happy to explore flexible formats with you: Twice a week, twice a months, longer intensive sessions, one-session-at-a-time, mix of on-line and in-person 鈥�

There is a formal side to this, and you will receive some documents before we start. In the first session, you may still have questions about the overall process, confidentiality, contractual agreements 鈥� . I鈥檒l make sure you get all the answers.

Then, we鈥檒l start talking in detail about your current, 鈥渉ot鈥� issue, the one (or more) that brought you here in the first place,  what it does to you and the people around you.

To really understand, I'd also like you to share some background. I'll be asking things like: What else is currently going on  in your life 鈥� or not? What鈥檚 your support network like?  How has life treated you up to now? What was it like growing up? What things have happened to you? How have you approached your life so far? What are your hopes for the future? What do you want to be different? What will you hold on to while everything else seems to change?

At times, this can take more than one session. 

At the end of this "stock take", there may be a few themes with strong links to your current issues. I'll suggest to you how we can address them. You then decide if you want to work on these themes, whether with me or someone else, and in what format 鈥� and you don鈥檛 have to decide immediately.

If you do continue with me, great!! If not,  I will still recommend specific changes for you to consider, and, if you wish, I can recommend a few of my  colleagues for you to work with.

I look forward to hearing from you.

.

Alongside my counselling practice, I also work as a coach and trainer. This work appeals especially to clients who want to review their approach to work/career or their private life, and is often driven by a need or desire to start doing something very differently.

In the work domain, typical issues for coachees in their early career stages included how to get on with a new boss, or how to mange others, especially for the first time. Frequent topics for more experienced managers were the preparation for their next big career step or having to face 鈥渞estructuring鈥�.

In the private domain, past coaching work has included communication, assertiveness, and getting a balance between the demands of work, private life, and your own needs.

Most of my coaching and training work was delivered in large organisations, although, the work for some of my counselling clients has also moved into a coaching/training mode.

While all sessions will focus on your individual circumstances, they will at some time cover one or more of the following topics:

• Your desired outcomes
• Your self-image and motivations
• Your knowledge, skills, special expertise and attitudes
• The work or personal context you find yourself in and how it might help or hinder progress
• A plan of supporting activities

I also offer specific education and skills training for individuals or small groups on the topics below. This is usually delivered as a double session followed by individual work and 2 follow-up sessions.

- Self-knowledge 
- Emotional Intelligence 
- Managing Relationships 
- Communication and Influencing
- Work/Life/Self Balance 
- Creating New Habits
- Assertiveness & Boundaries 
- Problem Solving and Making Decisions

Your first session will usually start with a conversation about who you are, what your are aiming for, and how I might help you. I will typically ask questions such as:

鈥� How clearly can you describe your aims?

鈥� How might you know that you are getting 鈥渢here鈥�?

鈥� What鈥檚 the reason you are aiming for this (motivation)?

鈥� How can you achieve this with your current resources (knowledge, skills, attitudes, time)?

After that, we can plan your 鈥渏ourney鈥�, as a series of steps, keeping an eye on the direction.