Eva Karia

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I support individuals, couples and groups to overcome difficulties and feel at home and happy in their own skin. 

I work with organisations and businesses grappling with conflict and structural difficulties around rank and power dynamics. I supervise individuals working in a coaching or therapeutic capacity. 

I support people in all kinds of relationships.

My pronouns are they/them. 

 

I have a UKCP (UK Council of Psychotherapists) accredited Postgraduate Diploma in Process-Oriented Psychotherapy and am qualified to work with individuals, relationships and groups. In addition I have completed an "Advanced Diploma in Relational Supervision" and am an NCS accredited supervisor. 

I underwent 10 years of rigorous in-depth training and have been seeing clients since 2010. 

I've been running trainings and coaching individuals in the corporate sector for  17 years. 

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I absolutely love my job and feel tremendously lucky to be able to do what I am doing. 

I run different ongoing groups and in house trainings. I continuously update my skills. 

I am also a training therapist, mentor and faculty member, supporting students of Process Work in both the UK and the German Process Work schools. 

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I work with people of all genders, sexual orientations, relationship styles, religious backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds and ages. I strive to hold an anti-oppressive practice that is pro-actively open to diversity, which includes challenging my own (mis-)conceptions and awareness of my privilege. 

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I am trained to work with the whole range of human emotions and experiences. I have supported clients with mental health diagnoses, self esteem issues, relationship difficulties, addictions, chronic illness, depression, anxiety, sexual abuse, trauma, questions around gender and sexuality, existential issues and the pain of bereavement. 

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I am dedicated to supporting people on their journey to find a joyful, safe and embodied expression of their sexuality. This can involve work around trauma, engaging with the shame and fear we carry in us, noticing and letting go of the mainstream scripts we carry that block us; and connecting to our bodies and discovering ways to allow and find pleasure in our own way. 

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I feel pained by the polarisation between psychology and business, individual and world, and in my work try to bridge those gaps. The problem, and the solution, isn't out "there", it is in all of us.

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I am sex positive- this means to me that I see sexuality as a healthy and meaningful part of the human expression (and not a mandatory one- celebrating Asexual people and the freedom to be not or less interested in sex for all of us) and am actively engaged in reducing shame and stigma around it. As part of that I am also kink aware- this is to say that I do not pathologise those of us who have particular sexual preferences (or "kinks") such as those belonging to the BDSM umbrella - as long as it is consensual it is part of healthy wonderful diverse human expression of sexuality. I am also sex critical- that is to say that I believe that not being interested in sex or not making it a central issue is also equally valid. 

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I came to psychotherapy through my work as a conflict facilitator- and working with conflict continues to be an important part of what I do. I started out as a neighbourhood mediator in East London housing estates, then developed conflict work in corporate settings, and eventually started coaching individuals. The setting may be different but the underlying tools are very similar. I have also been working as a trainer, coach and facilitator in corporate and not for profit settings since 2005.  

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I facilitate in a relaxed, transparent and warm way. When appropriate I can be very direct and challenging, but within the context of a supportive relationship. I value the deep feeling wisdom of the body as well as the sharp intellect of the mind. I attempt to support both in my work. Too often we listen to one at the expense of the other. I also believe in the power of humour, and as a playful person I often bring that into my work as well. I am carried by trust in the underlying wisdom of what is going on and deep curiosity and respect for the moment.

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In 2007 I discovered an approach called 'Processwork'. I was blown away by the richness and simplicity of the approach. A very versatile yet simple paradigm, Processwork in its essence is about discovering the creativity and meaning in the very things that disturb us. Processwork combines my passions into one: it isn't just about individual psychology but through its application known as "Worldwork" and "Deep Democracy" offers new pathways to engage with communities, nations, organisations.  

My dissertation focuses on process-oriented parenting- using my journey as a mother as a research project, and applying Processwork to the many small and big everyday moments of our parenting journey. It has made raising a child more meaningful to me and has proven very helpful in times of crisis. 

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Process work has many applications and I am honoured to be involved in many different kinds of projects- co-creating theatre using Worldwork; bringing awareness to racism in interactive workshops; running groups on identity and sexuality and much more. 

At the last IAPOP (International Association of Process Oriented Psychology) conference in Dublin in May 2018 I presented my research on working with comfort eating and its link to internalised sexism; as well as co-presenting "Let's make a mess: racism, how do we talk about it?" with several colleagues. 

I use Worldwork as a tool to hold difficult conversations that go beyond polarisation.

When time permits I offer Sex Conversations evenings, sometimes in person locally in Stroud or online.

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I take continued professional development very seriously and update and deepen my skills on an ongoing basis. I have studied with 

David Schnarch, Esther Perel, Janina Fisher, Emily Nagoski, Betty Martin and more. 

In 2019 I focused on studying movement interventions for trauma and combining attachment theory, neuroscience, trauma awareness and process work. In 2020 I deepened my embodied trauma work and anti oppressive practice through a 9 month in depth training with Resmaa Menakem, author of My Grandmother's Hands. I continue to engage in this work with regular triad meetings. 

In 2021- 2022 I completed a Diploma in Relational Supervision. 

My current focus of ongoing study is dedicated to studying class, ableism and neurodiversity.

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A bit more about me personally:

I am from Germany originally, and studied international politics in the US, France and Poland. I eventually settled in the UK, working at first at the European Council of Refugees as a policy intern. After several years of working on a policy level and later as a project manager, I noticed I valued the immediate connection with people that comes from working 1-1 and with groups.

 

After hating sport all of my adolescence, in my 20s I discovered joy in movement and in my body and now like to express that through dancing, yoga, walking, running, cycling, climbing and sex. This doesn't necessarily look elegant or result in ecstasy, but it keeps me in relationship to myself and others. I grew up surrounded by books, hanging out in my mother's bookshop after school, hiding my favourite books in the back of the shelf while waiting for her to close up. 

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