Counselling

A Calm, Supportive Space to Talk

Reasons People Come to Counselling

People seek counselling for many different reasons. You may be:

• Experiencing anxiety, worry or panic
• Feeling stressed, exhausted or overwhelmed
• Struggling with anger or difficult emotional reactions
• Coping with betrayal or broken trust
• Experiencing difficulties within a relationship
• Facing separation, divorce or another significant change
• Grieving a bereavement or other important loss
• Living with depression or persistent low mood
• Feeling lonely, disconnected or misunderstood
• Struggling with low self-confidence or self-esteem
• Affected by difficult family relationships
• Carrying unresolved experiences from the past
• Finding yourself repeating the same patterns in relationships or situations
• Finding it difficult to establish boundaries or put your own needs first
• Feeling stuck, lost or unsure about what you want
• Interested in personal growth but finding it difficult to make meaningful changes

You do not need to find the correct label for what you are experiencing. Whatever has brought you here, counselling can give you the opportunity to explore it.

How Counselling Can Help

Counselling offers something that can be difficult to find in everyday life: time that is entirely focused on you.

Friends and family may care deeply, but you might worry about burdening them, upsetting them or being given advice you did not ask for. You may also find yourself protecting the people closest to you by keeping certain thoughts and feelings to yourself.

In counselling, you can talk openly without needing to take care of the other person’s feelings. Being listened to carefully can help you hear your own thoughts more clearly and begin to understand what is happening beneath the surface.

Counselling can help you to:

• Make sense of difficult or conflicting emotions
• Understand how experiences affect you today
• Recognise patterns in your thoughts, behaviour and relationships
• Explore beliefs about yourself that may no longer be helpful
• Develop greater awareness of your needs and boundaries
• Consider different choices and ways of responding
• Build confidence in yourself and your decisions
• Find ways to cope with situations you cannot immediately change
• Feel less alone with what you are experiencing

Counselling is not about someone else telling you how to live your life. It is a collaborative process that supports you in developing your own understanding and finding changes that feel right for you.

My Approach to Counselling

I am a qualified integrative counsellor and a registered member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society.

Being an integrative counsellor means I can draw on different therapeutic approaches according to your individual needs. My work is grounded in a person centred approach and may also include Transactional Analysis and CBT-informed techniques.

At times, you may simply need the space to talk and feel heard. At other times, it may be helpful to look more closely at patterns, explore how earlier experiences influence the present or consider practical ways of responding differently.

There is no set formula. We will focus on what feels most relevant and helpful to you.

My approach is warm, genuine and supportive. I will listen without judgement, offer reflection and help you explore what may be difficult to understand on your own. You will not be expected to discuss anything before you feel ready, and sessions move at your pace.

Counselling for Individuals

I provide one-to-one counselling for individual adults rather than couples or family groups.

You can still bring relationship or family difficulties to counselling. Individual counselling gives you space to explore how a relationship is affecting you, understand your own feelings and patterns, consider your boundaries and decide what you want for yourself.

Face to Face Counselling

Face-to-face counselling appointments are available at Plymouth Wellbeing Centre in Estover. The centre provides a quiet, professional setting, with free parking available. Sessions last 60 minutes and take place in a private counselling room.

Online Counselling

Online counselling is available if you would prefer to attend from home, live outside Plymouth or need greater flexibility.

Sessions take place through Teams and offer the same confidential, individual support as face to face counselling. You will need a private space where you feel comfortable talking without being overheard.

What Happens in the First Session?

The first session gives us an opportunity to talk about what has brought you to counselling and what you would like support with.

We will also discuss confidentiality, how counselling works and any questions or concerns you may have. You do not need to arrive with a clearly defined goal or tell me your entire history. We can begin with what feels most important to you now.

The first appointment also allows you to get a sense of whether you feel comfortable talking with me and whether my approach feels right for you.

Ready to Talk?

If you are considering counselling, you are welcome to contact me to ask a question or arrange an appointment.

National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society