Íø±¬ÃÅ

***I am not accepting new engagements at this time***

Hello, I’m Rachael. I’m a therapist with an interest in helping people live a more meaningful and fulfilling life. I have experience working with childhood adversity, domestic abuse, medically unexplained symptoms, childhood / developmental trauma, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression and self-worth.

I currently offer both short-term (anything up to 12 sessions) and long-term (12 and more sessions) individual sessions in person in Dronfield and online, and via telephone, nationwide.

As a Íø±¬ÃÅ registered counsellor, I work within an ethical framework for professional practice and maintain a high level of continuing professional development (CPD) in order to regularly update and improve my knowledge and skills.

I am a humanistic and integrative relational counsellor and psychotherapist offering a supportive, trusting, and confidential space where together, we can work through the difficulties that have prompted you to seek support.

At times we may feel stuck in unhelpful, disconnected, and emotionally painful cycles in our relationships, or our job isn’t fulfilling us. Maybe we feel burdened with guilt and shame and find ourselves withdrawing from the people we love.

Sometimes we don’t even realise we are suffering from our overwhelming experiences and have no idea how to start healing. We may feel anxious, irritable, sad, and hopeless and have no idea why and start to believe that this is how life is. Physical symptoms of fatigue and pain may be plaguing our daily lives, creating debilitating difficulties to get through the day.

I believe the many ways we come to understand and make sense of who we are, including how we relate to others and the world around us, is central to our mental health and physical wellbeing. Unforeseen and adverse childhood and life events, cumulative trauma, separations, losses, and disappointments can all profoundly affect our sense of who we are.

I draw from a range of compassionate and informed approaches, working together with both body and mind to help clients develop self-knowledge and resilience through renewed methods of coping and living a meaningful life. Therapy however does not simply come from training alone. I believe it is equally important to bring myself as a human being into the therapy room. I take special care to balance a down-to-earth approach with evidence-based practice to help clients understand themselves on a deeper level, activate change and facilitate growth.

I am also a Level 4 trained Lifespan Integration therapist - a gentle body-mind based treatment that helps people heal from trauma, abuse, and early attachment issues, allowing a more whole and integrated self to thrive and be present in their lives.

Our first session will be an assessment where we together gain a wider understand of what you want to bring to therapy, what your goals are and how I can help.

I will use the knowledge and understanding gained through our initial sessions to guide which interventions and therapy will be best for you. 

I am available Tuesday and Wednesdays for Supervision

My supervisory approach is a deliberate blend of my extensive professional background and my genuine lived experience. Just as I believe healing in therapy requires bringing our whole selves, I hold the conviction that effective supervision requires the same authentic presence.

As a practitioner, I offer an authentic, transparent presence and an uncommon empathy to our supervisory relationship. I show up authentically to create a safe space where you can feel empowered to be your genuine self—professionally and personally. I will thoughtfully challenge you, ask probing questions, and encourage deep dives into the root of both clinical and personal matters.

Our work together is founded on a two-fold commitment:

• Client Care: Ensuring you provide safe, ethical, equitable, and high-quality support to those you work with.

• Practitioner Wellbeing: Guaranteeing you have the resources to develop your resilience, wellbeing, and knowledge base.

I act as your committed partner - cheering you on, holding you accountable, and guiding your growth. I know that true development and confidence blossom when you feel safe and fully supported.

The knowledge gained from my professional journey and life experience forms a dynamic toolkit readily available to you. We'll discover and refine strategies that work for your unique style, converting them into transferrable skills for both client work and self-care.

I offer clinical supervision to a range of professionals, including qualified and trainee counsellors and psychotherapists and colleagues in helping relationships seeking reflective practice. 

My particular expertise lies in supporting therapists who work with:

• Clients presenting with developmental and relational trauma.

• Neurodivergent and disabled students in Post-16 and Higher Education settings.

I maintain a dedicated inquiry into how systems of power and social conditioning interact with the unique lived experiences of diverse clients and how this directly influences mental health outcomes.

Trained as a Humanistic and Integrative psychotherapist, Lifespan Integration practitioner, and Specialist Mental Health mentor, my expertise spans diverse therapeutic models, including humanistic, developmental, and relational perspectives, alongside Compassion-Focused Therapy and therapeutic coaching. I integrate this therapeutic foundation with the 7-Eyed Model for Supervision practice.

My style is warm, scientifically grounded, and immensely relational. I find great joy in sharing the knowledge that often helps practitioners dismantle shame and self-criticism. I offer my complete intellectual and emotional capacity, drawing on a lifetime of learning, to provide compassionate, real-world supervisory guidance.

I offer a complimentary 30-minute session. This is a relaxed opportunity for us to chat about your current practice context, professional goals, and what you hope to gain from supervision. It's also the perfect time for you to hear my approach and for us to check our relational fit before we begin our work together.