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Available by agreement. Not available on public holidays. Taking bookings now.

I am a highly skilled and experienced Counsellor, with many completed hours supporting adults and young people aged over 16. Thank you for visiting my profile, and congratulations on taking this first step towards improving your mental health.

I offer Psychodynamic counselling which can help you understand your emotions and unconscious patterns of behavior which may have their origins in the past, or are transferred from past and even present relationships. This type of counselling draws upon psychoanalytic theory and forms the basis of most modern forms of talking therapy. It requires the therapist to listen deeply to both the conscious and ‘un-conscious’ communication between client and Counsellor, to reflect upon and explore these communications with you, the client,  and to ‘hold’ you in a safe, non-judgmental space whilst sometimes difficult feelings and emotions are expressed. The process can help to unlock negative feelings, develop robust emotional self-regulation, and enable you to move forward with new insight and ability to enjoy life more fully.

I have a particular interest in supporting clients who are struggling with self-injurious behaviours, and with additional qualifications in Suicide and Self-Harm Prevention and Awareness, you can be assured that I will be keeping your safety central to my practice at all times.

I support with a large range of difficulties, and with clients from 16 to over 70, and who are struggling with the consequences of trauma or difficulties in their relationships with others.

With ongoing mandatory Continual Professional Development, and supervision as is required by the Íø±¬ÃÅ, I offer you a kind, and professional service which is specific to your needs, and my goal is always to provide you with the best possible outcome and way forward.

Following an initial (free)  telephone chat which should last around 15 minutes, during which I will gain a brief understanding of what may be troubling you, establish your expectations of counselling, and discuss with you the expected length of therapy (this is dependent on the nature of your presenting issue), I will arrange a mutually convenient day and time to meet for our first session. Sessions are 50 minutes long. 

My style of counselling is warm and friendly -  and my aim is to help you feel relaxed and welcomed, after all, this may be your first experience of counselling, and I do believe that the counselling process, whilst observing the necessary boundaries, need not be a terrifying experience, rather it should be your space, your ‘sacred’ time to bring whatever you wish to the session. It is perfectly ok to just sit in silence for a while to reflect,  and this will be respected. On the other hand, you may feel like a well of emotions needs to spill out and again, tears are normal. Whilst Psychodynamically trained, I have an eclectic, integrative approach which is very much tailored towards what works best for you, the client as an individual. The aim of therapy is to build a safe, trusting and empathic relationship between client and Counsellor in order to reflect, explore, encourage, and heal.

You may wish to bring a fidget toy to the counselling space. This is welcomed, or you may find it easier to express your feelings by bringing a poem, book, or piece of art which is also welcomed. I will work with what you bring, and will keep you central to the process, always.

My room at Chard Natural Health Centre is pleasant and comfortable, with rattan chairs, cushions and soft lighting. A ground floor room is available if you feel you would benefit from level access. There are just a couple of steps up to the entrance to the centre.

During our first session I will go over the counselling contract with you, and ask you to complete a short mental health questionnaire. We will use the remainder of the session to start to understand your world, the people who occupy it, and to explore the issues you wish to discuss. Our first session will usually last a little longer than the others therefore please allow for around a full hour. You will not be charged any extra for this important first, ‘getting to know you’ session.

It is worth remembering that psychodynamic therapy works particularly well as an open-ended therapy, and therefore if a set number of sessions is initially agreed upon, we will evaluate progress regularly, and you will have full autonomy throughout, meaning that if you wish to end or extend sessions at any point, or continue until you feel you are ready to finish, we can discuss this during your sessions. You may find that the focus of your initial problem changes as we progress through your therapy, and therefore you may wish to extend the number of sessions in order to process these problems fully.