The founder of a counselling charity in Frome has stepped down from the board of trustees after almost nine years of service.
Karen Patrick, a midwife, founded Frome Birth Talk in 2017 to help provide mental health support to pregnant and new parents following cuts to government funding, which meant mental health funding was lost.
With help from a team of other passionate local women Karen created Birth Talk, which aimed to provide short-term counselling for 15 people per year, with one therapist on the books.
Since then, Karen has served as a founding trustee on the board and has seen Frome Birth Talk grow from strength to strength. The charity now works with 11 counsellors, providing an average of 28 therapy sessions per week across three Frome venues as well as online. Over 180 people referred for counselling in 2025 and more than 300 families benefited from their drop-in support groups.
Operations Manager at Frome Birth Talk, Lucy Hill said, “We would like to thank Karen for not only being an incredible trustee, but for having the bravery and strength to bring Frome Birth Talk into being all those years ago. This organisation wouldn’t be here without you, and local families wouldn’t have access to this vital support in their community. You are a hero.”
Frome Birth Talk offers counselling for anyone who is pregnant, or who has had or lost a baby within the last two years (including dads, co-parents and same sex partners). They also offer four drop-in groups per week, a monthly baby loss support group, and a monthly LGBTQ+ families group.
Find out more about accessing support at www.fromebirthtalk.org.uk
