About my Practice
“When the other person is hurting, confused, troubled, anxious, alienated, terrified; or when he or she is doubtful of self-worth, uncertain as to identity, then understanding is called for. The gentle and sensitive companionship of an empathic stance… provides illumination and healing. In such situations deep understanding is, I believe, the most precious gift one can give to another”
I believe in developing a relationship that feels safe and accepting. This can help and support you to gain greater insight and understanding into your feelings and concerns. Working with you to create a map for your journey, identifying both your hurdles and your powers.
The person-centred, relational approach I embody, ultimately means I strive to return control to you, as such my position isn’t to advice, rather it's to create a therapeutic space that can help you feel safe, understood and welcomed. Potentially aiding long-term change by fostering continued, substantial self-understanding and a deeper connection to your inner guidance.
Being in a therapeutic relationship and climate, can be an illuminating experience. Light can be shed on your emotions, personal relationships, situation, and facilitate the discovery of aspects of you. This can include contradictory perspectives and parts of self, and a discovery of your fall-back, or default positions and responses.
Why have Counselling & Psychotherapy?
You may know why you want to attend counselling, or you simply notice unwelcome changes in behaviour and feelings. Perhaps you experience, panic, anxiety, depression, low-mood, or lethargy. It can also be challenging when you feel there’s not a clear reason to explore counselling, as if you should ‘cope better’ however ‘you survive rather than thrive’.
Where to start?
Please take a look at what I offer and connect. We can then schedule an initial session in room, on the phone, or via Zoom. Couples or groups (in person) 60-minutes. I will ask if you need any adjustments prior to meeting, and and again through the course of our time together.
The initial session is an opportunity for me to get to know you, to explore what you'd like to achieve, as well, provide insight into how I work. The counselling agreement-contract, including the boundaries and limitations of the sessions are also explained before we make a formal agreement to continue.
Finally we find a mutually agreeable time and day to meet, ideally on a regular weekly or bi-weekly basis.
“No man steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man. ”
Sessions will likely change as you do - and no counselling relationship is identical.
Fees
Individual from £50.00 (50min)
Walk & Talk £50 (45-55mins)
Couples from £65.00 + (60mins)
Supervision from £75.00 (90mins)
Initial Session from £25
I accept Bupa & WPA, please contact for other Employment Assistant Programs.
Above indicate general rates. These may vary according to duration and concessionary agreements
Scroll down for Questions and Answers
Questions
I meet with individuals, couples, young people, families and groups. This can be in the counselling room, online, or outdoors; either as talking, or creative expression. EMDR is available on discussion.
My recommendation is a minimum of six sessions (although you are of course free to chose). If you are looking for brief (time limited) counselling, it can be good to estimate a rough the number of sessions you have in mind, to discuss whether it’s realistic and safe. On-going counselling sessions are very much part of my practice, and so an end date may not be in mind. Please bear in mind that there is no normal, rather due to ethical implications, I simply establish if, what you present can be aligned to the number of sessions. This may include: multiple incidences of abuse, difficulties and absences in early relationships, or, something that knocked your sense of self. All can leave a significant marker or influence; therefore, feeling and living differently may take time.
It is also likely that what is unseen but felt as anxiety, depression, overwhelm, numbness, or behaviour, such as disordered eating, harmful compulsivity, or addiction are the consequence of other aspects of your life and experience, and so not always the problem in themselves. Sessions can open Pandora’s Box. If more becomes known your re-assessment of the number of sessions may be necessary.
Who and how long?
You may seek support following a life event, including but not limited to: identity transitions, changes in your health, single incident trauma, or the gaining of something that you feel ill-equipped, or unworthy of. Perhaps you have early adverse experience, had difficult primary attachments/relationships, have witnessed or been subject to ongoing abuse, violence, and traumas. This may include the experiencing of discrimination in one or numerous areas of your life; such as, an inequality that likely impacts your sense of belonging, safely and personal power. Perhaps you have been responsible for something you are now taking responsibility for, or want to learn how to. Maybe you have identified feelings or notice an absence of emotion. There could be behaviour that tells you ‘somethings wrong’ or at least ‘not quite right’. Possibly there’s something on how you feel or behave in your situation or relationships you would like to understand or change.
Reasons to attend?
Many reasons occur for you to enter into therapy with another. You may be looking to repair your relationship following a breach of trust, or you are struggling with changes in your life that impact the relationship. Ongoing argument, silence or varied aggressive behaviours can be stressors that cause conflict, a shutdown or both. The consequence can be a relational aloneness and further limit opportunity for you to understand each other. Disconnection can occur on a physical, soulful, or emotional level. Your default ways of coping or unhealthy habits of managing emotions will most likely fuel the fire. You may also be drawn into seeing your partner, or yourself in a particular way and act-out accordingly, yet the risk of self expression and authenticity could feel daunting.
Speaking to someone outside of friends and family can be helpful, as a professional has the ability to equally hold perspectives of both or all individuals. For the client it can also be beneficial to witness someone else listening to the other person, as well as being heard themselves. The extra space created from this process can offer opportunity for you to identify what actions or change you feel could make a difference. On the whole it can be a very healthy process. Though it’s also worth noting, that moving something within the relationship, does not always mean a better relationship, sometimes it is a better ending that you may be looking for.
Attending with another.
For all initial in-person sessions we meet in the accessible, bright, yet cosy counselling room in central Hamble. The counselling room is on the first floor of a community building, see - location. It has a lift, disabled toilets, disabled parking, and is a nut and food free space. Please let me know if I can accommodate further adjustments. If connecting via Zoom – the link available will be forwarded to you during our initial contact.
An alternative to meeting in room following our initial meeting is Walk & Talk. An activity fairly self explanatory, we walk and talk outdoors amongst the woodland, and upon the shoreline. If you have restricted mobility we can meet at an agreed outdoor location. If opting for creative expression, arts and sand tray Creative we meet in the counselling room. With notice this can be facilitated outdoors.
Where to meet.
When in agreement to work remotely, I will invite you to share your address, number, and emergency contact in case of a situation whereby you are in danger and I need to call fire, ambulance or police. This information will be destroyed at the end of our sessions together. The is a cost of an ambulance transfer will need to be taken up with the NHS.
Online and Phone Therapy.
If cancellation is necessary, do please let me know. Contact via email as the preferred means of communication. I appreciate as much notice as possible; I also endeavour to do the same if circumstances arise. If cancelled 24hrs before the session without exceptional circumstances, I do ask for 50% payment. I will invite you to pay full cost of the session if the cancellation is on the second consecutive week. I am afraid I would need the full cost in order to hold the space - otherwise I assume you no longer require sessions. The same applies to online sessions. There are distinctions to the above as I understand ‘things can happen’. Payment is expected prior to the session, unless otherwise agreed.
Paying and Cancelling.
Electronic communication is not without risk, and so I communicate factually and functionally in order to mitigate errors, and to reduce misinterpretation on what may be communicated via text or email. I respond during my working hours, which can include evenings and Saturdays. Other times I will simply confirm receipt of your enquiry or message, prior to my full response.
At times a change of session day, or time, may be necessary, both for you and myself; this can be arranged in collaboration and confirmed well in advance verbally or/and via email. You may want to partake in further sessions, due to life events or the surfacing of difficult emotions. Conversely, you may want to take a break in counselling, returning when the time is better suited.
Communication.
If we can’t work together or don’t work out?
I am afraid I cannot work with clients who I know, or we share someone that we’re close to, as this can cause a conflict of interest, thus impair both personal and professional relationship. If it is established that we have someone in common, then I will need to offer you a referral. If ending with couples or groups, I am unable to immediately work separately with one person, this is because I’d have likely formed an alliance with the other party, who has been significant within your process. If there’s violence towards me, or towards a person you are in therapy with, then I will end the session and cancel any further scheduled meetings.
It may also be identified that it’s harmful for yourself to start therapy due to your situation. Or you have expectations on solely relying on counselling for a reduction in addictive substance use. It could be the case that you would like someone informed by lived experience similar to your own, or that the service you are seeking isn’t counselling. As such, I will provide a referral. Further legal and ethical limitations, see - Ethical & Legal.