Issues Counselling can help with
If you are feeling depressed or anxious, I have experience of offering effective help. You may have work-related stress, underlying illnesses, low self-esteem or feel lonely. Perhaps you have suffered a bereavement and find it difficult to engage with life fully. If you have addictions such as alcohol and gambling, I will be able to signpost you to specialist organisations and offer counselling alongside these services. Perhaps you feel overwhelmed or confused and unable to cope. I can help you to gain clarity and see things with a fresh perspective. Once you are able to see your problem more clearly and gain self-understanding then finding a way forward becomes easier.
I have trained professional counsellors and oversee other therapists work as a clinical supervisor. Working in different settings, with people from all walks of life has honed my ability to respond to each individual or couple, so that together we can create the effective outcome that you desire.
If you would like to explore the possibility of counselling then please ring or text to arrange a non-obligatory free chat. We can talk over your needs and if I am not the right person to help I can signpost you to a suitable organisation or expert.
Relationship Counselling
I help couples to rebuild relationship where trust has been broken. An affair can leave a partner feeling hurt and betrayed, uncertain how to forgive and move forward. Counselling can help to rekindle intimacy where a partnership has been strained. Maybe you find yourselves arguing frequently or perhaps you have drifted apart and can't find your way back to being close.
Through times of transition, such as having a first child or being made redundant, or the experience of financial or health problems, or a gender transition or exploration, your relationship may be challenged.
It may feel that your partner doesn't seem to understand you. I can help you to notice where unhelpful patterns of relating have caused a rift. During therapy sessions you can learn how to communicate more effectively again, to understand each other and feel supported.
Once you have developed a nurturing relationship all aspects of life and work will flow more easily.
Training, qualifications & membership:
- M.A. (ED) Counselling from Durham University 1991
- Diploma in Counselling Supervision from CPPD, London 1999
- Award in Education, Abingdon and Witney College, 2016
- Transpersonal Foundation, Newcastle Transpersonal Centre, 1990
- Foundation in Counselling, Cambridge Consultancy, 1987
- Online Counselling Training, OCST 4, 2020
- Accredited registered membership of the BACP, 2020
- Working alongside trans, gender diverse and questioning people, Gendered Intelligence, certificate, Sept. 2024
Practice description
I offer a heart-centred therapeutic approach that is ethical and robust. My role is in creating a safe space for you to explore and understand yourself and experiment with different ways to move forward.
My approach is pluralistic, which means that I respect that we are all unique, different therapeutic styles suit different people. Although I have a working model, I may use varied aspects of my training and skills to respond to individual need. If it suits you, I work with creativity to help you to explore your inner world and unlock your potential. This may involve working with guided visualisations, images, metaphor, drawing materials and dreams.
Your first session
Usually, we begin with a brief phone call where you can tell me what you would like help with and ask me questions about my practice. If you decide to try counselling then we make an initial counselling appointment.
At this first session, you can go into more depth about the challenges that you face and what you would like the outcome of therapy to be. We discuss practicalities such as number of sessions and times and days that are convenient for you to have appointments. By the end of this first session you will have an idea of how we work together and then you can decide if you would like a series of sessions to help you to move forward.
Payment is made at the end of each session when we agree the next appointment. Some people like to have the same time each week whereas others may need more flexibility, depending on your lifestyle. All appointments last for one hour.
