Personal Counselling
Private counselling for adults, young people and children. Counselling offers time to examine what is troubling you, understand recurring patterns and consider what you want to change. Whether you are seeking support for yourself or your child, you are welcome to get in touch for an initial conversation.
Why it matters
You may know what is troubling you without knowing how to change it. You may recognise a pattern in your relationships or reactions, yet find yourself repeating it. Or you may be dealing with an experience that is difficult to process.
Together, we explore the relationship between your thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and the experiences, values and beliefs that shape them. Developing this awareness can help you gain clarity and make more considered choices about how you respond.
My role is to listen carefully and help you consider things that may be difficult to see on your own. We work together, drawing on your knowledge of your own life and my experience as a therapist.
This may involve working through anxiety, low mood or other difficulties, approaching a relationship differently, changing an established pattern or exploring something unresolved. What we focus on develops through our conversations and reflects what matters to you.
You do not need to know exactly what to say before getting in touch. My aim, from our first conversation, is to help you feel comfortable and at ease.
Adults
You may be dealing with a specific difficulty, or noticing that familiar ways of coping are no longer helping. Sometimes the issue is clear. At other times, you may feel anxious, dissatisfied or overwhelmed without fully understanding why.
I have almost 20 years’ experience working with adults in private practice, supporting people with anxiety, depression, loss, relationship difficulties and the effects of past experiences.
Our conversations give us time to look closely at what is happening, how it affects your everyday life and what may be keeping the difficulty in place. This can include expectations you place on yourself, how you respond to other people, or decisions you find difficult to make.
You do not need a diagnosis or a crisis to seek counselling. You may simply want to address something that has been affecting you for some time.
Young people
Growing up brings changes in relationships, identity and independence, alongside pressures around education, belonging and the future. A young person may be experiencing anxiety or low mood, struggling with friendships or family relationships, or living with the effects of a traumatic experience. They may find it difficult to explain what is wrong.
I have extensive experience working with young people, including those who are unsure about counselling or reluctant to attend. Building trust comes first. I take time to understand their perspective, explain how sessions work and give them room to decide what they want to discuss.
Adolescence can be a particularly unsettling and difficult time. Counselling offers an opportunity to make sense of experiences, feelings and reactions, and address difficulties that may otherwise be hard to manage alone. Developing greater self-awareness can help young people recognise their needs, communicate more clearly and make more considered choices. That understanding can be valuable now and as they move into adulthood.
Parents are welcome to make the initial enquiry. We will discuss how counselling could help, how parents can be involved and the confidentiality arrangements before sessions begin.
Session length and fees can vary, depending on the young person’s age and circumstances.
Children
Children may show that something is troubling them through changes in behaviour, sleep, friendships or their willingness to attend school. They may be dealing with worries, loss, family changes or a difficult or traumatic experience, without having the words to explain how they feel.
I adapt sessions to the child’s age, development and way of communicating. Alongside conversation, play and creative activities can help children express experiences and feelings that are difficult to put into words. I take time to build a relationship so they feel comfortable and can begin to engage.
Counselling can help children recognise and express their feelings, make sense of difficult experiences and understand their reactions. We work at a pace they can manage, without pressure to explain everything or talk before they are ready.
An initial conversation with parents helps me understand what has been happening and what they are concerned about. We will discuss how parents can be involved and the confidentiality arrangements.
Session length and fees can vary, depending on the child’s age and needs.
How sessions work
We begin with an initial conversation about what brings you to counselling, or what you are concerned about for your child. This is an opportunity to ask questions and discuss whether working together feels suitable.
In-person sessions take place at my home-based counselling practice in a countryside setting, within easy reach of Leamington Spa, Southam, Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Sessions are also available online or through a combination of in-person and online appointments, depending on your preferences and what is suitable for the person attending.
We discuss session length, frequency and fees, alongside confidentiality and its limits. For children and young people, we also discuss how parents will be involved.
Talk To Us
If you would like to discuss counselling for yourself or your child, please get in touch. You can ask questions, explain what has prompted your enquiry and find out about availability.