About Vicki McKeown and VLM Therapy
About Vicki McKeown and VLM Therapy

Therapy for Adults, Children & Families

Therapy for Adults, Children & Families

Whether you’re an adult navigating anxiety, depression or trauma, a parent worried about your child, or a family working through difficult times – VLM Therapy offers a warm, professional and evidence-based space to begin healing.

Vicki McKeown is an accredited Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and EMDR Practitioner with over 15 years’ experience, based in North Shields and working with clients across the North East.

Who I can help…

Who I can help…

Everyone’s journey is different. Here’s who I can support:

Therapeutic ParentingTherapeutic Parenting
Additional Services

Therapeutic Parenting

When your child’s behaviour feels challenging or overwhelming, therapeutic parenting sessions can help you understand what’s underneath and respond with confidence. Available online or in person in North Shields.

VLM Therapy - Therapeutic ParentingAVAILABLE ONLINE OR IN PERSON
Additional Services

Supervision helps you stay grounded, ethical, and effective in your work. I offer supervision for counsellors, psychotherapists, trainees, and other helping professionals, tailored to your experience and client needs.

SupervisionSupervision
VLM Therapy - Supervision AVAILABLE ONLINE OR IN PERSON
VLM Therapy
VLM Therapy
Clients’ Success Stories

I needed help dealing with chronic anxiety, which was becoming debilitating. Vicki was recommended to me by a friend as someone good at unravelling family dynamics and issues. From the outset, I could see that her approach was different and very powerful. Vicki asked me questions I’d never been asked before by any of the previous therapists I’ve worked with, and they were the right questions to help me understand myself and my relationships. I now feel more resilient, in control of my emotions and more confident overall. Thank you.

Jo 2026

Thank you Vicki for all your support with our child’s journey.

You got him thinking about himself, his actions and his feelings and helped him through the difficult transition to high school.

Your support for us as a family has been invaluable.

Adoptive Parent

Vicki has supported our children at different stages since my twins were 8, and her work has made a huge difference to our family dynamics and the way we parent, support and interact with each other. We've covered everything from birth family trauma and neglect, behaviour management and self-harm, to life story work helping the twins make informed decisions about their birth family history.

Vicki is non-judgmental, kind and deeply knowledgeable about PTSD and its impact on children's lives and choices. She not only worked with us as a family but actively advocated for us with schools, counsellors and college tutors. It's like having a personal therapist and cheerleader all in one - I can't recommend her enough.

A, Mother of Twins

Vicki is friendly and actually quite funny at times. She is a good listener and never puts words into your mouth like some general/school counsellors do. She is nice to talk to and explains things clearly so that you understand why you may be feeling or behaving the way you are.

Vicki often knew why I felt the way I did before I did and she always helped me to understand why and how this could link to the trauma I had experienced in the past.

I would definitely recommend her therapy sessions as they really helped me.

E Aged 16

I’m very appreciative of the time Vicki spent with X and X, how she valued their thinking and promoted their insight into their own experiences.

I like Vicki’s common sense approach, that she was reliable and very considerate.

Adoptive Parent

I met Vicki in 2019 through a recommendation following an Attach North East course. My daughter had hit a difficult point, and in trying to help her, I realised I needed to deal with my own long-buried trauma first. Sessions were hard going at first - I kept deflecting back to my daughter rather than facing my own past. Vicki gently but persistently brought it back to me. One exercise that really helped was building a "tree of events," which helped me see that not everything in my past was awful. It also helped me reframe growing up without a mother - rather than a source of pain, Vicki helped me see it may actually have made me a better, more determined parent.

By 2022, I was in a much better place, and so was our family. I would highly recommend Vicki - she really listened while quietly steering me where I needed to go, even when I tried my best to avoid it.

Annon

I contacted Vicki in 2021 for help with overwhelming personal and professional issues. My friends are a great support network but I felt I needed an outsiders viewpoint to give an unbiased perspective on my situation and some kind of structured help to deal with it.

I’ve never had therapy before but would absolutely recommend it and particularly Vicki to anyone struggling or feeling as stuck as I was. Vicki was calm, friendly, supportive and objective. Our sessions gave me a safe space to talk freely and practical coping techniques. I’ve been able to move forward in a positive way at last.

H

It was my first time at counselling and I felt very apprehensive opening up to someone I didn’t know, but as soon as my first session started, Vicki made that easier for me and I felt very comfortable. Vicki helped me cope with challenging issues and assisted me with realistic coping strategies that I use almost daily.

She was very supportive, calm and understanding and with all this I was able to move forward and make positive changes. Thank you Vicki for all your help and support, I would 100% recommend to anyone.

Molly

Vicki really helped me when I had lots of worries. We worked together on strategies for when I feel stressed and anxious, and she supported me through difficulties at school, including after I was attacked - she helped me realise it wasn't my fault.

I've started college, made new friends, and feel like I have a good future. I still have to manage big feelings sometimes, but now instead of damaging things I go for a walk and listen to music. I'm a stronger person for all the help I've had.

Adoptive Young Person

The sessions were specific to the needs of our sons difficulties, Vicki was able to develop a positive trusting relationship. She is supportive and honest, and during a difficult time of lockdown her support was amazing.

Our son sustained an assault leaving him confused and anxious Vicki’s helped through the difficult time.

He has transitioned between school and college, Vicki supported him to help alleviate his worries and fears, he has made great progress through the therapy sessions and he has been supported to make positive changes.

Adoptive Parent

Latest News Articles

Latest News Articles

VLM Group

Training. Mediation. Consultancy.

Training. Mediation. Consultancy.

Training. Mediation. Consultancy.

VLM.Group

After years of supporting professionals and organisations alongside my therapy practice, I launched VLM Group Ltd in 2026.

The sister company to VLM Therapy, VLM Group provides training, consultancy, mediation, and independent complaints officer services.

It’s the same Vicki, the same values, and the same commitment to doing things properly – just in a different setting.

Want to be the first to know?

Want to be the first to know?

Follow VLM Therapy on Instagram for professional guidance, supportive content and latest updates.

You don’t need to win every argument, outperform every rival, or convince anyone of your worth. The moment you stop performing for an audience is the moment you start actually living for yourself.

Growth is private before it’s visible. It happens in the small, unglamorous choices, showing up on the hard days, saying no when you need to, resting without guilt, trying again after you fail.

Proving yourself chases approval.

Choose the version of you that you’re proud of when no one’s watching.

#growth #beproudofyourself #learning #vlmtherapy
The first few weeks back at school can be a big adjustment especially for children who are neurodivergent or who’ve experienced trauma. 

New routines, new faces and new sensory demands can show up as tears, meltdowns or “clinginess” that can be hard to understand.

It’s not defiance. It’s not regression. It’s a nervous system trying to cope with a lot of change.

#BackToSchool #NeurodivergentChildren #TraumaInformedCare #TherapeuticParenting #VLMtherapy
Find your tribe…the people you can be fully, unapologetically you with. 

No masks. 
No performing. 
No editing yourself to be more palatable.

Real connection happens when you feel safe enough to show up as you actually are, quirks, feelings, and all.

#findyourtribe #beyou #safetyinrelationships #connections #vlmtherapy
On Friday I attended what I imagine will be the first of many incredible events by the @ne_sencollective 

Claire and Jane created an amazing night striving to bring more support, visibility, understanding, and partnership working within the SEN community and it was clear from the room how much that’s needed.

Since meeting Claire a few years ago, I’ve been in awe of everything she does. So when she invited me to join the panel, I was genuinely honoured.

It was lovely to see some familiar faces there, and to meet some new ones too. That sense of connection is exactly what evenings like this are about, even though it can sometimes feel a bit like awkward networking and connecting (or is that just me? 😂)

What I hope came across (if I wasn’t too waffly!) was the need to support parents and carers on both a practical and an emotional level. As I said on the night, you’re the regulation your child borrows. If you’re running on empty, that’s harder to offer, through no fault of your own.

Thank you to @thebearandthewren, @theo_me_and_asd and everyone who came along for such a meaningful evening. 

Looking forward to seeing where the North East SEN Collective goes next 🙌

#SEN #SENDSupport #NortheastSENCollective #ParentSupport #VLMTherapy
Can you blooming believe it… 10 years of VLM Therapy 🎉

What started as a career change to do the meaningful work I’d always wanted to do has turned into a decade of rewarding work. I’ve worked with so many children, young people, adults and families who have trusted me to be part of their journey which is an absolutely privilege. 

I’ve been lucky enough to work alongside some brilliant, trauma-informed professionals over the years, and I’ve always tried to gently offer different perspectives to others with the aim of helping people move forward with their thinking, even just a little.

This year also saw the launch of VLM Group, as I’ve taken on more training opportunities, consultancy, complaints work, and trained as a mediator. It’s not about stepping away from therapy, but about growing what I do so I can have a bigger impact and create meaningful change on a bigger scale.

Here’s to the next years of VLM Therapy. 

#VLMtherapy #10years #selfemployed #decadeinbusiness
Half of parenting is learning how to regulate yourself.

Kids don’t need perfect parents, they need parents who can stay calm in the chaos, repair after the hard moments, and model what it looks like to feel big feelings without being ruled by them or projecting them onto others. 

Your nervous system sets the tone for your home. 

When you’re regulated, your kids learn by watching you.

#regulation #coregulation #parenting #modelling #vlmtherapy
So many parents aren’t just parenting.

They’re advocating
Teaching
Researching legislation
Chasing appointments
Filling out forms
Being the PA their child’s support system should have given them.

I see it happening on their evenings, weekends, the time that was meant for rest.

On top of parenting.
On top of working.
On top of everything else.

For the families I’m working with I always acknowledge how much they are doing and holding.

Remember the oxygen mask: you have to put yours on first. Not because your needs matter more, but because you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Self-care isn’t a luxury here. It’s essential.
You’re allowed to be tired.
You’re allowed to need support too. 

#SENDParenting #ParentingTrauma #TherapySupport #ParentingSupport #VLMtherapy
📸 What’s the one picture that captures Summer 2026 for you? 

For me, it’s homemade pizza. We’ve had a pizza oven for years, but this summer we actually used it. It’s been a way of socialising with friends and family, everyone making their own and being responsible for if it burns…or not!

What’s your image that captures this summer? And what’s the smell, sound, or place that’ll bring it rushing back years from now?

#summerholiday #memories #creatingmemories #capturingmoments #vlmtherapy
You don’t self-sabotage because you want to fail. You self-sabotage because you want to control the ending.

If you can be the one who quits first, messes it up, pulls away, or never really tries then you’ve had control of the ending. It’s not something that just happens to you. It’s something you choose.

But….something we need to pause and ask-
What’s the actual evidence that this will end badly?
Is it something happening right now, in front of you? Or is it an old belief and pattern from a relationship, a childhood version of you that got hurt before and decided never again?

Old pain can be convincing. It sounds like intuition. It sounds like “I just know.”

Next time you feel the urge to sabotage, pause and ask:
🤔 What am I afraid will happen?
🤔 Have I actually seen evidence this time, or am using evidence from last time?
🤔 Am I protecting myself, or preventing myself?

#selfsabotage #traumaresponse #controllingtheending #protection #vlmtherapy