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.

Fear doesn’t always look like panic. Sometimes it looks like:
🔹 Staying quiet when you have something important to say
🔹 Saying “I’m fine” when you’re not
🔹 Avoiding a conversation because you’re afraid of the answer
🔹 Pulling away from people before they can pull away from you
🔹 Saying yes when every part of you wants to say no

Fear influences more of our choices than we realise, how we speak, how we set (or don’t set) boundaries, how we show up in relationships.

The goal isn’t to eliminate fear. It’s to notice it. To ask: Is this fear protecting me, or is it running the show?

#TherapyThoughts #MentalHealthMatters #FearAndHealing #SelfAwareness #VLMTherapy
I cannot believe it’s been 1 year today since Lisa and I took a leap of faith (after a bazillion conversations about doing it!) and released Jake and his Shame Armour into the world. Thanks to @pixel6_designs for bringing it to life. 

A mahosive thank you to every single person who has bought the book and/or the accompanying guidebook, your support has truly meant the world to us and has made it possible for more children to have conversations that truly matter.

Having conversations with children about shame is so vital. Not only does it support their emotional development during childhood, but it shapes their relationship with shame well into adulthood. Shame is something we all experience, and the earlier we can give children the language and tools to understand it, the better equipped they’ll be not just in childhood, but for life.

#JakeAndHisShameArmour #BookAnniversary #ChildrensBooks #ShameInformed #ShameAware
“Everything happens for a reason.”

When someone is in pain and you tell them it happened “for a reason,” you’re not comforting them you’re asking them to stop feeling so you can feel more comfortable.

Not everything happens for a reason. Some things just happen. What people need isn’t your explanation, it’s your presence.

Try sitting with someone’s pain instead of explaining it away.

#VLMTherapy #Support #Listen #EmotionalValidation #HoldSpace
One thing I’ve noticed with so many of my clients this year, particularly those who have transitioned to middle or high school, is just how hard that change has been.

A new school isn’t just a new building. It’s new routines, new expectations, new friendships, different teachers, unfamiliar environments and, for many, a nervous system that’s working overtime to adapt.

We can sometimes expect teenagers to “just get on with it” because they look more grown up. But under the age of 18 we need to remind ourselves they are still children.

Children need to feel safe, seen and supported before they can truly engage in learning. These aren’t extras, they’re the foundations. 

When a child feels unsafe, overwhelmed or disconnected, their brain is focused on coping rather than learning.

Teenagers still need adults who notice when they’re struggling. They still need reassurance, consistency, encouragement and relationships that help them feel secure. They still need us to be curious about what’s underneath the behaviour rather than simply reacting to what we can see.

As we head towards the end of a school year let’s start to prepare and think about upcoming transitions in September. 

Transitions can be exciting for some, but for others it can bring uncertainty, anxiety and overwhelm. 

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can offer isn’t another strategy it’s a safe relationship. If you can get that key adult involved now in preparation for September.

#safetyinschool #traumainformedschool #transitions #endofyear #education
Stepping into a new chapter can feel scary.

Even when the chapter you’re leaving behind wasn’t serving you, it was familiar. 

Our brains often prefer what’s predictable over what’s possible, which is why the pull to turn back can feel so strong.

Growth rarely feels comfortable. It asks us to tolerate uncertainty, trust ourselves, and keep moving forward even when we can’t yet see what’s ahead.

If you’re standing on the edge of something new, be gentle with yourself. Fear doesn’t always mean you’re heading in the wrong direction. Sometimes it simply means you’re leaving what’s familiar behind.

#growth #change #newchapter #steppingoutyourcomfortzone #vlmtherapy
Everyone you meet knows something you don’t.

Instead of feeling intimidated by that, get curious. Every person carries experiences, perspectives, and lessons that can expand your own understanding.

Growth begins the moment we replace comparison with curiosity.

#curiostiy #growth #keeplearning #learnfromothers
People change!

This was me last weekend in the Lake District ⛰️ 

If you’d told my younger self that I’d genuinely look forward to going for a walk, I would’ve laughed. Back then, it felt pointless and is something I’d moan about if my parents suggested it.

Now, in my 30s, after a busy week at work, being outdoors is something I love. Nature helps slow my brain (it never totally stops), gives me space to think, and reminds me there is more to life than work.

It got me thinking about how often we hold people to who they used to be.

The truth is, we all change whether we like it or not. We grow, our priorities shift, and we discover new things that bring us joy. That’s not inconsistency it’s part of being human.

So let’s give ourselves, and each other, permission to evolve. We don’t have to stay the same person we were five years ago, or even last year.

#Growth #SelfReflection #MentalWellbeing #VLMTherapy
Don’t let your past steal your present.

You can try to ignore it. Block it off. Push it down. But unless you take the time to pause and actually work through what you’ve experienced, it doesn’t just disappear, it keeps playing out. Consciously or not. In the present.

You can only truly enjoy and live in the present once you’ve worked through and let go of what you’re still carrying from the past.

#trauma #traumarecovery #letitgo #therapy #traumaprocessing
Summer holidays: the thing everyone says to “enjoy” while secretly counting down to September. 

If that’s you, you’re not alone, and you’re not a bad parent.

Before the chaos lands, pause for a second and ask: what do I need to get through this? (Not the kids, not the house…YOU!)

Rest? Five minutes alone? A plan for a child free day? Permission to not love every second?

Tell us what’s on your list 👇

#SummerHolidays #ParentingReality #MentalHealthMatters #TherapySupport #schoolholiday