"Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold & expand. Ideas actually begin to grow within us & come to life." - Brenda Ueland
Meet Karen
Clinical Psychologist and Business Coach
Karen began her career as a business consultant at Andersen Consulting after having completed a B.Sc in Computer Science and Psychology.
After 4 years, she left to join a SAP consultancy and it soon became clear to Karen that whilst she enjoyed the people that she worked with, as well as providing solutions to organisations, her passion lay in working one-on-one with people and understanding their inner workings.
Karen returned to South Africa to complete her clinical psychology training and to begin her private practice. After bring introduced to coaching, Karen saw the benefit in adding this to her skill set and now divides her time between the two mutually beneficial professions.
Karen is driven to continuously improve her skills and knowledge. She has gained her Ph.D. in Psychology and has earned the Professional Certified Coach credential from the International Coach Federation. She is registered with both the Health and Caring Professions Counsel (HCPC) and the British Psychology Society (BPS) and as well as her private coaching and psychotherapy practice, currently works part-time on an acute ward at a Surrey Psychiatric Hospital.
Leading thought is the Coaching Practice of
Dr Karen Gubb
Clinical Psychologist and Business Coach
Ph.D Psychology (WITS) : M.A. Clin Psych (WITS)
Professional Certified Coach (International Coach Federation)
Business Coaching
In today’s business world, the knowledge, skills and talents which were once effective and sufficient are now outdated. There are now growing demands, more responsibilities and higher expectations of executives at increasingly younger ages. It is therefore tangible talent and measurable human capital which distinguishes outstanding individuals and, in turn, organisations.
Coaching is based on building a very particular type of relationship founded on mutual trust and respect in which the coach and client form a thinking partnership. The client then discovers and unpacks their values, strengths and goals, and then allows these to lead their thoughts and actions. The process improves leadership, performance, effectiveness and stress management, promotes peak performance and aids in sustained physical and mental well-being.
Karen is a qualified and experienced executive coach, and holds a Professional Certified Coach credential from the International Coach Federation. Her qualifications and certifications as a coach are further enhanced by her years as a corporate consultant as well as her credentials and experience in clinical psychology.
The underlying intention is that her coaching sessions will enable her clients to fulfil their goals and live a life of success and satisfaction. She works with individuals who are undergoing transitions as well as those who would like to improve their overall leadership, performance or well-being.
She has a particular interest in the management of stress and draws on her PhD research which focused on the mind-body interaction and physical manifestation of stress.
Psychotherapy
Also known as psychological therapy or talking therapy, psychotherapy is based on the use of psychological methods to help a person change behaviour and overcome problems in desired ways through regular personal interaction. In her therapy practice, Karen works predominantly within a psychoanalytic paradigm and utilises psychodynamic therapeutic techniques. Karen has worked in both long- and short-term modalities in both in-patient and out-patient settings. She sees patients struggling with a number of difficulties, but has a special interest in psychosomatic illness which was the focus of her PhD.
Karen sees individuals who would like to enter treatment at high frequency and make use of the analytic couch, as well as those who would like to have treatment less frequently or for shorter periods, and who would like to use an arm chair.
Karen is passionate about mind-body connection and works with her patients to explore these connections in their own lives. One of Karen's favourite past times is to complete complex jigsaw puzzles and she applies the same problem solving when working with her clients to assist them in uncovering and resolving underlying issues.
Testmionials
"Karen created a safe environment for me to discuss my personal experiences and to explore new ways of dealing with my work challenges. Our sessions provided me with new tools and insights on how to approach difficult issues in the workplace in order to extract the best solution. I have thoroughly enjoyed the (at times uncomfortable) learning experience. Karen’s input was thought provoking, practical and worthwhile."
- Business Coaching Client
"It is not until someone asks you questions allowing you to reflect and do a lot of introspection , that you realise you have been in your comfort zone. Through the guidance and some situational tools I got from Karen, I am growing with every situation I once considered uncomfortable."
- Psychotherapy Client
" For the first time in my adult career I felt clear around what I should be doing with my career right now and going forward. Karen helped me greatly in being able to articulate my strengths, achievements and personality traits. Coaching with Karen afforded me time for myself to focus on my needs and identify where I see myself going in the future ."
- Business Coaching Client
Publications
Karen has presented at a number of Local and international conferences and has published a range of papers;
-
Karen was invited by her Ph.D examiners to present a clinical paper at the American Psychoanalytic Association Winter Meeting in New York in 2016.
-
Craving Interpretation: A Case of Somatic Countertransference. British Journal of Psychotherapy, 2014
-
Re-embodying the Analyst. Psycho-analytic Psychotherapy in South Africa. 2013
-
Psychosomatics Today: A Review of Contemporary Theory and Practice. Psychoanalytic Review 2013
-
The Sense of Bodily Symptoms. Psycho-analytic Psychotherapy in South Africa. 2010
-
Reflections on Society as Borderline Mother. Psycho-analytic Psychotherapy in South Africa. 2010
-
Clinical Vampirism: Review and Illustrative Case Report. Authors: K Gubb, J Segal, A Khota, A Dicks. South African Psychiatry Review. 2005
-
Ph.D Thesis: Minding the Body: Questions of Embodiment and the Practice of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy
-
Karen collaborated with a group of psychologists who worked pro bono with the families of the Esidemeni victims. These victims were a group of psychiatric patients who died following an ill-fated and poorly planned removal by the government. The group created a report of the impact of the tragedy which was testified to at an arbitration. The outcome of the arbitration was that constitutional damages were awarded to the families of the victims. This was unprecedented in South African law. Following the arbitration, Karen and a colleague arranged a memorial service and a 3 day conference at which the events could be digested and thought about. She presented a paper entitled: “It was sickening: The somatic impact of being close to the Esidemeni trauma”.
