Counselling in Exeter

My own experiences of therapy have taught me that my own change and growth became possible when i could open and relax into a felt sense of trust and safety. I appreciate that if you are struggling now or have suffered in the past- to open yourself up to- and risk trusting another might bring mixed feelings of hope and fear. Yet, to take a step into the unknown is the invitation and challenge of therapy. I have been a client; in my experience the risk i took set out upon the adventure of counselling has been an acceptable one and the rewards are great.

I have a particular interest & experience in working with Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating difficulties. As a Family Therapist, I have worked with a wide range of mental health difficulties, including using Attachment Narrative Therapy; working with attachment difficulties; depression; anxiety; self harm; emotional regulation; communication difficulties & trauma. I’m trained to work with individuals, couples & families across the age range. It’s a privilege to support & empower families & individuals in understanding their lives experiences, improving their relationships, mental health & well-being.

I work with a variety of clients with all different backgrounds and needs and specialise in working with people who have trauma or traumatic experiences. My background is psychodynamic psychotherapy and so I tend to work long term with people minimum of a year and also use other techniques such as EMDR and theories that support work with trauma. I have worked with many people including those with eating disorders, self harm, obsessions, OCD, addictions, anxiety, depression, bereavement, trauma, PTSD, ADHD and high functioning autism spectrum disorder, sexual, emotional and physical abuse, neglect, adoption, redundancy and stress.

Life sure can be complicated… Counselling can be a great way to explore anything you may be struggling with.

If you are looking for someone with many years of professional experience qualified and professional with a kind, compassionate manner I can help. I have experience with diagnosed mental health issues and everyday struggles with relationships, feeling sad, depressed, anxious and pre occupied with worries. Confidential and private in a relaxed atmosphere.

You deserve to be free from anything standing in the way of you being true to and at peace with yourself. Perhaps you are feeling like you have lost this, or aren’t sure you have found it within just yet. Maybe you want to voice and explore something which is particularly challenging you. Whatever has brought you here, I would like to provide a supportive space for you to express it. I am an Integrative Counsellor/Psychotherapist, which means I draw on a range of approaches, including creative arts if this is something you are interested in trying. Most importantly, the way we work together must feel right for you.

If you are seeking the opportunity to talk matters though in a non judgemental and safe environment, I provide the support and understanding to empower you to consider the issues you wish to explore. Working together to help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and why you are experiencing the difficulties that you have. Enabling you to develop new methods of coping with these difficulties. We will explore patterns in your thoughts and behaviours which will help you to gain a sense of control and stability in your everyday life. I am a registered member of the BACP and the NCS.

My name is James and I am a male counsellor based in Exeter. I am here to support you with a whole range of issues that you may be dealing with, such as stress, anxiety, depression, grief and/or relationships to name but a few.

I am a down to earth, straight talking counsellor and supervisor, with many years experience working with bereavement, loss and trauma. I offer both short term, goal focussed work, as well as longer term therapy, depending on your needs. I have a keen interest in working with those who are neurodiverse, as well as supporting those who live with someone who is neurodiverse. As a supervisor, I will work collaboratively with you to explore all aspects of working as a practitioner to support your continuing, ongoing development.

Do you feel stuck, anxious or overwhelmed? Perhaps worry, lack of confidence or low self esteem is having a negative effect on your life, causing you to feel isolated and alone. Talking to loved one about what we are experiencing can feel difficult, we worry that we are putting to much on them or we don't want them to worry about us. Talking to a counsellor can be really helpful at these times and can show a way forward. However I understand that a good counselling relationship is vital to support you in moving toward your goals.

Life can be hard sometimes and struggling with things alone is the loneliest place. Counselling offers you the space to say things that you can’t to anyone else, and know that you won’t be judged. When you sit with with me in the therapeutic space, my attention is fully and exclusively for you – this is something that we rarely experience, and is why people often struggle with feelings of not being heard or seen. I create the space for you to talk and explore your feelings, what may be going on underneath the feelings and how your life experiences have shaped you.

Having the time and space within counselling to explore your thoughts and feelings in a safe and confidential environment is often the first step in making positive change in someone’s life. Our problems can sometimes feel too big or heavy to carry ourselves. Often it’s hard to pinpoint what’s actually wrong, but that low mood, and anxiety over powers us. Counselling will help you understand your behaviours and emotions that little bit better and give you insight into why you may be finding things difficult. With this understanding, it is often the catalyst for positive change leading to a more balanced and healthy future.

I'm a psychoanalytic psychotherapist trained to MA and Doctoral level respectively with adults and children and adolescents. I'm also a course tutor for a psychotherapy course at The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. I have experience of working across the age range with a wide variety of mild to moderate, sometimes more severe presenting problems. Some people see me because they're very unhappy, distressed or worried, others come because they want to understand themselves better and they're curious about why they encounter the same patterns.

I offer psychoanalysis in central Exeter for people who are looking for a space to speak. Contemporary life poses particular challenges to us all; over the course of our lives we are subject to upheaval, loss and chaos. We might feel lost in anxiety and depression; powerless rage hardens us and makes us cynical, dissociation and denial diminish our connections with the world and our own aliveness. Entering into psychoanalysis marks an intention to change your life. Whatever your history, whatever wounds you carry, starting an analysis is an act of radical hope that life could be different.

I'm a relational integrative therapist meaning, the relationship is the therapy. It also means I use different types of therapy to meet your needs because, you are unique. Integrative therapy helps you become a more integrated whole person, better able to experience the entire range of your behaviour, emotions and thoughts as well as improving your relationship with yourself and others. Neuroplasticity continues throughout the lifespan which means that change and improvement in the way we feel is always possible and therapy is the best way to achieve this.

The journey towards untangling the complexities of life often requires a courageous first step. By reading this, you may have already taken it. Talking therapy can be a powerful tool in the pursuit to make sense of those complexities. Sharing can provide an opportunity to explore. Sharing can heal past hurts, sharing can free the now, sharing can guide the future. I offer a safe space for deep internal enquiry. I provide a genuine and authentic approach that will support you in times of concern.

I work mainly with adults from all walks of life, all looking to find a more meaningful and fulfilling way of living. Whatever your issues are, together we will explore why you are feeling this way, and work towards change. We will look at what has led to your current issues and what it is you are looking for in order to create those changes. I have a lot of experience working not only face to face but also online and via phone. There is always a choice of a better way of feeling but we sometimes get stuck and unable to find a way forward alone. I can help you to untangle how you are feeling and clear the way for a new path.