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Hi, I'm Susanne and I offer a free 15 mins introductory chat to decide if counselling with me is right for you. We can meet online on webcam or instant messaging, over the phone and I can hire a space locally to Bradford-on-Avon to meet in person. I currently have availability on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 

I work during school hours and school terms but can have some flexibility around this.

I charge £60 per 50 mins session and am open to offering a lower concessionary rate for those who need it. 

Please go to my scheduler to book a free 15 mins introductory to chat: https://tinyurl.com/15minsintro

Is being you harder than you thought it would be? Are you going through a crisis or coming to terms with a big life event and need to talk it through? We grow up developing an idea of what life should look like, what we might achieve by certain ages based on what we've seen of other people's lives. Then reality slowly unfolds: something goes wrong, or we have reason to think "Hang on, this isn't how I thought my life would be" and we're stopped in our tracks not knowing how to move forward, perhaps feeling like we don't have sufficient capacity for what life entails. 

If you're looking for someone talk this through with, I'm here. I'm a qualified counsellor, but fundamentally I'm a down to earth, approachable person who believes in the power of helping someone feel less alone by being with them in their struggle, open to hearing whatever it is they want and need to share. I know the frustration of being told "Don't say that", or "Don't feel that way" or "Everything will be fine" etc. I won't do that. I'd like to be with you in hearing your story, learning about your situation and validating your experience, because you know better than anyone what it is like to be you. 

One of my core beliefs is that life is hard and that's normal - we just don't all talk about our difficulties so it may feel like we're the only one struggling and that can lead to feeling isolated and perhaps the belief that noone will understand what we're going through. What makes life even harder is when there is too much pressure on ourselves (sometimes from within) to think or feel something different to what we're thinking and feeling. As such, a conversation with me will be warm, accepting and curious, looking gently at the myriad of feelings you're having. Perhaps feelings you're having and not acting on. That's ok. We all have them. 

I won't push you to reach conclusions or to go at a pace you're not wanting to go at. I'd like to hear how you are and to be with you, helping you feel less alone.

What’s it like to have therapy with me?

I am…

• Caring
• Kind
• Realistic
• Optimistic
• Accepting

I will…

• Talk with you in a down to earth way. I'm not scary. I'm a normal person who enjoys working with people and getting to know them
• Use my sense of humour where appropriate
• Normalise
• Validate
• Help you recognise your strengths and what’s going well and allow space to be with what's not going well. 
• Probably reassure you that you’re not doing life wrong and you’re not weird!
• Recognise the complexity of life and our emotions - we are a mass of contradictions and that’s ok!

Some areas of interest:

• Navigating major life crises, changes and transitions
• Being a sibling/family member/carer of someone with a health condition
• The transition to parenthood, the realities of motherhood and everyday parenting struggles
• Single parenting after separation or a partner passing away
• Recovery from domestic abuse
• Having a life limiting health condition

I offer a free 15 mins introductory meeting, either by phone, webcam (Google Meet), or instant messaging (Google Chat). This gives us both a chance to get a sense of what meeting together for counselling might be like to help you decide if you'd like to go ahead and book in for weekly sessions.