When life feels hard, talking with supportive friends and family can be really helpful. However, there is something special and unique that happens when we set aside time to speak, in confidence, with a trained professional who we trust and have a positive relationship with. It gives us the chance to focus on what is bothering us and work with a supportive professional on moving towards healing and wholeness.

From processing grief and loss or coping with traumatic experiences in the past, to dealing with depression and anxiety, or managing harmful behaviours and emotions, talking therapy can help.

The answer is that it depends! Perhaps you want to work on a specific issue and have carved out a precious six weeks to dedicate to counselling. Or maybe you know you need to work things through but you’ve no idea how long it will take. Whatever your circumstances, we will discuss it before you start counselling.

I will ensure you don’t continue counselling for longer than we both feel it is beneficial to. We will regularly review how you feel counselling is going and can explore extending or reducing the number of sessions you originally planned to have at any time.

Yes! I offer a free 30 minute initial consultation for both of us to work out whether counselling with me will be a good fit. This will take place online and there is no pressure to commit to counselling after this point if you decide not to.

Before we meet for counselling, we will have an initial meeting online. In this video or telephone call, I will introduce myself and tell you about how I work. You are free to ask me about my qualifications and experience, what to expect from therapy or anything else you’re not sure about.

I want to make sure you feel at ease by sorting out basic things like cost, building access, timing of sessions, whether you’d prefer online, telephone or in person counselling, as well as any additional requirements.

I will ask you to tell me a little about yourself and why you are seeking counselling, including a brief history of the problems you are experiencing. This helps me to understand what it is you want to work through and sense whether I am well placed to support you through it. If I feel it would be in your interests to signpost you to a different service or professional I will always do this.

If you decide you’d like to go ahead with me, we can get a date booked into the diary for your first session there and then.

AI is an amazing tool that can provide answers to lots of practical questions. What it can’t do, however, is form a warm, genuine, empathetic and professional human relationship with you. The power of therapy is found in the human connection between the client and the counsellor, something AI can never fully emulate or replace. If you’re still not convinced, give them both a try and draw your own conclusions!

It usually works best to commit to counselling once a week initially as we get to know each other. Once we’ve established the work together, it can also work to meet fortnightly, if that fits better with your life circumstances. It would be unusual to meet more frequently than once a week, as counselling requires hard work and emotional energy and often you need the full week to process what has happened in the session. Whatever the case, the more you commit to counselling, the more you will get out of it. People who come regularly are more likely to reap the benefits than those who only come now and then.

I ask for at least 48 hours’ notice for cancellation of a session. This is so that I can make the most of the time made available in my schedule and offer the appointment to another client if needed. If you are not well enough to attend in person, we can move to online or phone counselling. If you have to cancel less than 48 hours before the session you will be charged.

On the rare occasion that I have to cancel, I will give you as much notice as possible and you will not be charged.

I can help you with a wide range of issues you may be facing in your life, including:

• Abuse

• Addictions

• Anxiety

• Bereavement

• Burnout

• Climate anxiety

• Depression

• Emotional regulation

• Feeling sad

• Fertility problems

• Grief and loss

• Loneliness

• Low self-confidence

• Low self-worth

• Perfectionism

• Perinatal and antenatal anxiety and depression

• Pregnancy and birth

• Relationship issues

• Self awareness

• Social anxiety

• Spiritual or existential crisis

• Stress

• Trauma (self or vicarious)

• Work-related anxiety and stress.

There are many well researched counselling theories and methods, all of which offer something different and useful.

What works for one person may not work for you. As an Integrative counsellor I recognise you as being unique and therefore adjust and adapt the counselling around your needs.  You can read more about Integrative Counselling on the BACP website

Being in crisis means you are having thoughts about harming yourself or others, or taking your own life. You may even have planned how you want to do this. There is always someone who is ready to listen and who cares.

Contact NHS 111 at any time to access urgent mental health support: Call 111 and select option 2. You can also go to your nearest A&E department. 

I am not a crisis service, and as such I do not pick up calls outside of my working hours. If you need urgent help, please contact the NHS. If you just need someone to talk to, you can:

Call Samaritans: 116 123 (lines open 24/7, 365 days a year)

Text SHOUT to 85258 for free confidential, text-based support 24/7, 365 days a year.

I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). This means I have made a professional commitment to abide by the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professionals. This informs the way I work with all clients and includes sections on confidentiality, GDPR, accountability, supervision and training. 

Supervision is a requirement of professional membership of BACP for which there are many benefits to the client as well as to professionals. Regular supervision with a trained and qualified counselling supervisor ensures I am practising ethically and safely. Be assured my supervisor is also bound to the Ethical Frameworks above and everything I share will be anonymised and subject to the same confidentiality.

I am registered with the ICO as I handle personal data, and I am also fully insured with Professional Indemnity Insurance which covers us both.

If we are meeting in person, I will welcome you at the door and show you the room we will be meeting in, and the facilities.

If we are meeting online, I will email you the link to our meeting beforehand and can help with any questions about logging on. If we are meeting over the phone, I will call you on a number you’re happy to be contacted on. I will always join from my confidential counselling room and will check where you are to ensure you are in a safe space for counselling.

If online, I will keep my camera on at all times, but it is up to you whether you want to keep yours on or off. It can help to be able to see each other but the choice is yours and I will respect and work with that.

Wherever you are having your counselling, this first session is about starting to get to know each other and building trust. As part of this, we will talk about and both sign a counselling agreement about the way we will work together. Again, questions are always welcome!

I will also ask you what has brought you to counselling and whether you have any particular goals in mind. Sometimes people don’t know, they just want to feel better. That is also absolutely OK.

As with every session, I will be led by what you want to talk about. I might suggest we do something on paper, or using stones or pictures to explore what you’re bringing, but you are always free to say no. I will support you to work through your feelings and thoughts at whatever pace feels comfortable for you.

My therapy rooms are sadly not fully accessible for those with mobility issues and both have stairs. Whilst I appreciate it might not be everyone’s first choice, the option of online or telephone counselling is genuinely worth considering. It affords greater flexibility and meaningful work can still absolutely happen. I have an additional certificate in online and telephone counselling.

Rest assured, I take data security very seriously. I am registered with the ICO as I handle personal data and you can find out how I do this safely in my Privacy Notice