Counselling
A place to express your feelings and explore what is happening in your life and relationships in a safe, supportive counselling environment.
Working together online or Face-face, we hope to rediscover or discover a life
that feels like it is yours.
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Experiencing trauma can have profound physical and psychological effects. Everyone responds to trauma differently: some people are able to work through their experiences independently and regain stability, while for others, daily life becomes significantly disrupted. Trauma can influence our behavioural, social, and emotional responses. Illness or injury can also create short and long-term trauma. Whether the journey involves physical or psychological rehabilitation, or adjusting to a changed sense of life moving forward, the process is often deeply challenging.
When trauma is not processed in a supportive or effective way, it can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can present in many forms, including emotional numbness, fear, depression, manic episodes, anger, guilt, flashbacks, sleep disturbances, avoidance, hypervigilance, and changes in thinking or concentration. For some individuals, PTSD symptoms may be temporary and resolve over time; for others, ongoing support is needed to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
Stress, anxiety and panic attacks
Anxiety is a natural response that we feel when we are under threat. It is often heightened when we feel anxious about things that are about to happen or we think might happen.
A small amount of stress can help us be productive. But stress is a problem when it lasts for a long time or is so intense it stops us from coping. If severe stress is left untreated, it can cause depression and anxiety.
Panic attacks are a response to fear that can often be created by stress and anxiety. They are your body exaggerating its normal functions. During a panic attack, you may feel like you have lost control or are having a heart attack, and you may even feel you will die. Not only can we work on physical methods of overcoming a panic attack. Together, we can work on the cause of the fear and aim to remove panic attacks from everyday life.
Couples counselling
Couples attend counselling with me to discuss a wide range of issues, from lack of physical and sexual intimacy, communication breakdown and trust, jealousy, and infidelity issues. Life transitions and family changes can cause problems as can work-related stress or financial difficulties.
It is essential to look at the impact of the past on you as a couple in a safe space and work to disentangle it from the present. As a counsellor, I assist you in understanding how to communicate better for both of you. I can help you understand what each of you now needs from your relationship by giving you methods to better express yourself and your needs, place boundaries, and create a stronger relationship. All of the work we do together is grounded in well-established and respected theories of couples counselling, in which I am fully qualified and trained.
Couples counselling can also help couples going through separation, civil partnerships endings or divorce to communicate in a safe and neutral environment, allowing you both to express your thoughts and feelings while minimising any tension.
I am a direct and insightful counsellor who combines challenge with compassion and empathy to help you work through your concerns.
Family and relationship concerns
Many things can cause relationship and family issues: Differences in opinions, beliefs, values or expectations. Personality clashes with parents, partners and siblings; illness; drug or alcohol use; financial stress; divorce or re-partnership; and survival of violence/abuse/neglect are just a few things that can cause issues.
Discussing your relationship and family concerns in a safe, non-judgmental space can assist in working through and formulating solutions which could avoid further heartache and distress or methods of coping to accept the situation you may be in and see a way of moving forward.
Grief, loss and bereavement
Some theories describe stages of grief. While these can be helpful as a general guide, grief, loss, and bereavement are deeply personal experiences and differ for each individual. Grief is connected to the suffering felt when someone or something you value, enjoy, or love is lost.
Whatever your loss, it is unique to you. There are healthy ways to cope with the pain which, over time, can gently ease the sadness and support you in coming to terms with your loss. This does not mean forgetting what has been lost, nor does it involve placing a timeline on when you should feel better.
Loss can take many forms, including the loss of a person, a relationship, health, or a career. Coming to terms with these challenges is something we can work through together.
Self-esteem
Feeling secure in life and knowing who you are is so important. Understanding that you are safe, accepting yourself, knowing others accept you for who you are and knowing what you want from life and that you can achieve it are all elements of self-esteem.
We can work together to rediscover who you are, your wants and assist you in stopping comparing yourself to other people. Especially if the people you feel judged and influenced by are individuals you don't want to be and possibly don't respect. Taking time for reflection and self-care will help you rediscover what matters in life and give you the confidence to be confident in your own skin.
Depression
Depression can impact how a person feels, thinks, and manages everyday life. It often brings persistent sadness and a loss of interest, which can feel overwhelming.
There is no single cause of depression. It can develop in response to a stressful life event, or sometimes appear unexpectedly without an obvious reason.
Depression is not something you can “snap out of” or overcome by willpower. Talking therapies can provide support and guidance in navigating the challenges that depression presents.
Counselling, or talk therapy, is a highly effective approach for treating depression. It can help you understand your triggers, develop healthy coping strategies, and shift unhelpful or negative patterns of thinking and behaviour.
Anger management
Anger can feel overwhelming, leaving you with a sense of losing control. It can swing unpredictably from mild irritation to intense fury or rage.
In counselling, we can explore what triggers your anger, how it escalates, the point where it feels uncontrollable, and the guilt, exhaustion, or dismay that often follows. Through this work, you can begin to change unhelpful thought patterns, while also learning relaxation techniques, improving communication skills, and addressing underlying issues such as past trauma or unmet needs. This supports healthier emotional regulation and more positive relationships.
The goal of anger management is to reduce both the intensity of your feelings and the physiological arousal anger brings—not to eliminate anger entirely. When managed and expressed constructively, anger is a valuable emotion that helps you communicate your needs and boundaries effectively.
Work-related concerns
We spend a considerable amount of time at work, which can impact our mental health. Work-life balance can be hard to achieve, and it may be hard to set boundaries which ensure your mental well-being.
Your job role may not be as you imagined, and you may feel overwhelmed. You may not feel you can communicate you are struggling or that a colleague is making your life harder than needed. Or you might work for yourself and feel isolated and like you are carrying the world on your shoulders.
Work-related concerns include job dissatisfaction, injuries, stress, discrimination, bullying, retirement, redundancy, and unemployment.
Get in touch
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how counselling works, or to arrange an initial assessment appointment. This enables us to discuss the reasons you are thinking of coming to counselling, whether it could be helpful for you and whether I am the right therapist to help.
You can also call me on 07780 606420 if you would prefer to leave a message or speak to me first. I am happy to discuss any queries or questions you may have prior to arranging an initial appointment.
All enquires are usually answered within 24 hours, and all contact is strictly confidential.
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