Counselling & Psychotherapy

How Counselling Can Help

Taking the first step towards counselling can feel daunting, but you don't have to face life's challenges alone.

Counselling offers you a safe, confidential, and non-judgemental space where you can talk openly about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It provides time to pause, reflect, and make sense of what's happening in your life, while exploring new ways of coping and moving forward.

Whether you're facing a specific difficulty or simply feel that something isn't quite right, counselling can help you gain greater self-awareness, build resilience, and create meaningful, lasting change.

What is Counselling?

Counselling is a collaborative process where I work with you to explore whatever it is that is important to, or troubling, you. Based on what you tell me, my role isn't to make decisions for you or tell you what to do. Instead, I will help you to better understand why something is troubling you; and not just by considering those things on the surface which you will already be aware of, but perhaps by exploring some deeper underlying issue or trauma from your past which may be related to and still affecting you, possibly sub-consciously, and which could be undermining your ability to cope or make sense of things. By exploring these issues, and bringing new perspectives to them, my role is to help you discover and acknowledge their true character and thereby help you to build your own resources and resilience to meet them.

Who can be helped by counselling?

Counselling services can be beneficial for adults, young persons or children. There are many reasons why people might choose to come to counselling. It could be that they are experiencing, for example:

Anxiety or panic
Low mood or depression
Stress or burnout
Bereavement and loss
Relationship difficulties
Low self-esteem or confidence
Trauma or difficult life experiences
Family issues
Work-related pressures
Feeling overwhelmed.

Although there doesn’t have to be a specific reason at all. You may simply know that something doesn't feel quite right in your life, or your child’s, and you'd like the opportunity to better understand what the issue might be.

Many people find that counselling helps them to:

Better understand themselves and their emotions

Build confidence and self-esteem
Develop healthier relationships and boundaries
Process grief, trauma, or significant life events
Reduce feelings of anxiety and stress
Improve emotional wellbeing and resilience
Feel more confident in making decisions and moving forward.

Even if you aren’t sure if Counselling is the right thing for you, or your child, please do still get in touch and I will be more than happy to talk it through with you and, if necessary, refer you elsewhere if there are better options for your needs.

What can I expect - how does it work?

Counselling offers you a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space where you can talk openly about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. On a one-to-one basis, it provides an uninterrupted place where you can pause, reflect, and make sense of what's happening, or has happened in your life, while exploring practical ways of coping and moving forward.

Every counselling session is centred around you and your needs. There is no judgement, no expectation, and no pressure to have all the answers. Unlike with family or friends, a counsellor offers an impartial perspective and is trained to listen carefully and prompt internal reflection.

Therapy isn't about "fixing" you - it's about supporting you in discovering your own strengths, developing new ways of coping, and creating changes that are meaningful to you.

My Approach

I am an integrative humanistic psychotherapist, which simply means that rather than follow one particular theoretical approach to therapy (of which there are many), I can tailor my approach and draw from various methods according to your need and specific presentation. This will include models and exercises to help you explore and process perhaps difficult and painful experiences and memories. For those wanting a deeper understanding of the theoretical approaches I use, they include Person-centred, CBT-informed techniques, Gestalt, Transactional Analysis and Solution-Focused Based Therapy.

I typically offer 50min long face-to-face and online (zoom) sessions. However, therapy doesn't have to take place within four walls. Where appropriate, I also offer outdoor walk-and-talk sessions in the calming surroundings of nature. Many people find that being outdoors helps them feel more relaxed and grounded, providing a gentle and harmonious way to engage with the therapeutic process.

The number, frequency and timing of the sessions you have will be determined during our first session.

Taking the First Step

Reaching out for counselling support is often the hardest step to take, but it can be the start of positive and lasting change.

Whether you've already decided it is for you, or you have a few questions first before you decide, please do get in touch.

Getting in touch does not oblige you to book a counselling session.

Free Initial Consultation

I offer a free 20-minute online or telephone initial consultation. This gives us the opportunity to say hello, discuss what has brought you to counselling and explore how I may be able to help you.

You are welcome to ask questions. You can share as much or as little about yourself as you feel comfortable with.

It is also an opportunity for us to gauge if I am the right counsellor for you – counselling works best within a good working relationship.

Confidentiality

Whether or not we get beyond the initial assessment, I always adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework when dealing with potential clients. This includes treating all enquirers with respect and confidentiality.

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