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Counselling and Psychotherapy

Wholehearted Living

Pete

 "I was on the verge of giving up when I began sessions with Karen. This therapy has given me back, my life, marriage, family and many other feelings and passions I never thought I'd ever have again."
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The word "Cor" means heart in Latin, and the word courage is derived from this. I started the Cor Practice as a safe place where you can come to be healed, to enjoy a shared experience and to find your way forward. You are not alone, and help is now just a moment away.

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Please read more about my one-to-one counselling. Together we will discover ways to help you cope with the things that may have damaged or hurt you, so you can take courage to live wholeheartedly again.

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I'm Karen Hunter

I was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in India. I came back to Belfast to study art when I was 18. After graduating I followed a very winding path which included recording three albums and having three books published.

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Soon after the death of my second child I suffered a depression. I sought help to deal with the trauma and grief that I was experiencing. As I recovered I had a growing desire to help others who found themselves in a similar situation. I gained a degree in theology from Oxford University and then a Human Givens Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

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This led to my founding the Cor Practice, and it fills me with joy to help with the healing process in the lives of so many people.

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The Human Givens approach offers a clear understanding of what we all need to feel emotionally well and be able to flourish in our individual lives:

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  1.  Security – safe territory and an environment which allows us to develop fully

  2.  Attention - to give it to and receive it from significant others

  3.  Sense of autonomy and control – being able to make responsible choices about our own lives 

  4.  Emotional intimacy – to know that at least one other person accepts us totally for who we are

  5.  Community – feeling connected to a group or groups beyond family

  6.  Status – being appreciated for our contributions within the social groupings of which we are a part

  7.  Privacy – opportunity to reflect and consolidate experience

  8.  Achievement – when you can say to yourself: “I’m glad I did that!”

  9.  Meaning – which comes from being stretched in what we do and how we think

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When one or more of these needs are not met in balance, which can happen to all of us from time to time, we may experience emotional distress and find it hard to chart a way through our difficulties.  

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What I will do:

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  • Help you find ways to deal with the particular difficulties you are facing now.

  • Set clear goals which will allow you to keep track of your progress from session to session.  

  • Aim to have you leave each session feeling better than when you arrived.

  • Explore with you what coping skills can be better developed and which available resources can be put to better use.

  • Explore with you if there is a past trauma event that could be making your life challenging now.   An effective protocol is available to clear the lasting emotional effect of a trauma without the need to disclose upsetting and painful details.

  • Agree with you, at the end of each session, whether and when you need a further session.  We work as a team.

Cor Practice Documents

Please download and read the following documents:

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​Please download and complete the following documents and return them to karen@thecorpractice.com 

 

© 2026 The Cor Practice

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