Íø±¬ÃÅ

At present I work in-person in Oxford only on a Saturday - other days I'm working in London. However, I can offer online sessions on other days. 

I do have availability for new clients, so if you are interested in working with me, please get in touch. 

Perhaps you are unable to see the way ahead, or feel that you've reached a milestone in life. Perhaps you're overwhelmed with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, or are going through a crisis. However things are today, counselling offers the hope that things really can change for the better.

The 'therapeutic space' is unique, because there is rarely anywhere in life where we can speak so openly without the need to please or pacify someone else. Where you won't be judged or told what to do. Where your words and feelings can be raw and unfiltered.

When you come for therapy, you stop having to solve things or go through difficult experiences on your own. You now have a time and place in which you can be real and no longer alone. You also have an ally in the therapist, a valuing and genuine presence, who wants the best for you.

In the therapeutic relationship we'll work mostly in the here and now, but the echoes of your other relationships are bound to show up in this one, as they probably do in all your other relationships. We may look at the past too and you'll be invited to explore whatever seems important and whatever has a bearing on the problems you've brought. While counselling or therapy (for I use the words interchangeably) can't undo what's happened, it can help you heal, see things in new ways, and find a way forward which may not even have been conceivable before.

As part of our work together (using my training in Eugene Gendlin's 'Focusing' methods), we may well include your body's response to the situation you're talking about. The body has its own perspective, which you may not be aware of, and can provide an essential source of information. We'll also invite in any intuitive responses you may have. 

We may also explore the cultural conditioning and context in which you find yourself and how this links with your personal life, as well as looking at world and societal issues which can affect your response to what you are going through.   

In counselling you won't be judged for what's happened or given simplistic answers. There also won't be the impact on your friends or family, which there might be if you discussed things directly with them.  

I know that some things are very hard to talk about, but counselling with me is accepting and non-judgmental. My approach is warm and thoughtful and we only go as far - or as fast - as you feel is right for you.

Each counselling session is a chance to explore how you feel, to work out why things are as they are and to see what needs to be different. You may notice patterns that repeat themselves in your life. Together we'll come up with ideas to resolve how you feel.

Therapy can be hard work at times and it does take courage - and I have great admiration for all my clients, both present and past. Coming for therapy means that you aren't going to pretend that things are fine, when they aren't. You aren't going to just put up with things.

Looking reality in the face can be challenging, but it's often the first step which is hardest. You should know that you are embarking on a long-established means of working through difficulties and creating lasting change. I know from my former clients and from my own experience in seeing a counsellor, that therapy really can make a difference.

After an initial chat on the phone or virtually, we'll meet for our first session. Throughout the first session, we’ll be doing three things -  

1. The first is getting to know each other and making sure that we work well together and want to continue as a working partnership. 

2. We'll also start exploring the issues that first prompted you to get in touch. We will try to work out what needs to change and how you would like things to be. 

3. Finally, there may be hints in the past, as to how things got to be this way for you. Obviously we won't have time to explore those hints in the first session, but we may get an idea of what needs to be explored in the future. 

In addition, I'll ask about what kind of emotional support you have, either from friends or family. We’ll look at how therapy works and what you can do to make the most of it. And you can ask me any questions that you have. 

At the end of the session, we’ll talk about having further sessions. You can go away and think about this, if you want. 

I do charge for this first session, at my usual rate of £75.

I currently work remotely on Tuesdays and in-person in Bethnal Green, London on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. 

I do have some availability for new clients, so you are welcome to get in touch.

Hello, I'm Stephen and I'm glad you're here. 

Perhaps you are unable to see the way ahead, or feel that you've reached a milestone in life. Perhaps you're overwhelmed with anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, or are going through a crisis. However things are today, counselling offers the hope that things really can change for the better.

The 'therapeutic space' is unique, because there is rarely anywhere in life where we can speak so openly without the need to please or pacify someone else. Where you won't be judged or told what to do. Where your words and feelings can be raw and unfiltered.

When you come for therapy, you stop having to solve things or go through difficult experiences on your own. You now have a time and place in which you can be real and no longer alone. You also have an ally in the therapist, a valuing and genuine presence, who wants the best for you.

In the therapeutic relationship we'll work mostly in the here and now, but the echoes of your other relationships are bound to show up in this one, as they probably do in all your other relationships. We may look at the past too and you'll be invited to explore whatever seems important and whatever has a bearing on the problems you've brought. While counselling or therapy (for I use the words interchangeably) can't undo what's happened, it can help you heal, see things in new ways, and find a way forward which may not even have been conceivable before.

As part of our work together (using my training in Eugene Gendlin's methods of 'Focusing'), we may well include your body's response to the situation you're talking about. The body has its own perspective, which you may not be aware of, and can provide an essential source of information. We'll also invite in any intuitive responses you may have.   

In addition we may look at the cultural conditioning and context in which you exist. We can also explore how world issues are influencing the problems you face and how you feel. 

In counselling you won't be judged for what's happened or given simplistic answers. There also won't be the impact on your friends or family, which there might be if you discussed things directly with them.

I know that some things are very hard to talk about, but counselling with me is accepting and non-judgmental. My approach is warm and thoughtful and we only go as far - or as fast - as you feel is right for you.

Each counselling session is a chance to explore how you feel, to work out why things are as they are and to see what needs to be different. You may notice patterns that repeat themselves in your life. Together we'll come up with ideas to resolve how you feel.

Therapy can be hard work at times and it does take courage - and I have great admiration for all my clients, both present and past. Coming for therapy means that you aren't going to pretend that things are fine, when they aren't. You aren't going to just put up with things.

Looking reality in the face can be challenging, but it's often the first step which is hardest. You should know that you are embarking on a long-established means of working through difficulties and creating lasting change. From my former clients and from my own experience in seeing a counsellor, I know that therapy really can make a difference

After an initial conversation on the phone, or virtually, we'll meet for our first session. Throughout that first session, we’ll be doing three things.

1. The first is getting to know each other and making sure that we work well together and want to continue as a working partnership.

2. We'll also start looking at what prompted you to get in touch. We will try to work out what needs to change and how you would like things to be.

3. Finally, there may be hints in the past, as to how things got to be this way for you. Obviously we won't have time to explore the hints in the first session, but we may get an idea of what needs to be explored in the future.

In addition, I'll ask about what kind of emotional support you have, either from friends or family. We’ll look at how therapy works and what you can do to make the most of it. And you can ask me any questions that you have.

At the end of the session, we’ll talk about having further sessions. You can go away and think about this, if you want.

I do charge for this first session, at my usual rate of £75.