Counselling in Cotham, Bristol

Hello. I am an experienced integrative therapist offering sessions in blocks of six to eight weeks, focussing on a specific issue in a targeted way. Perhaps you are reading this because you are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of the way forward. Perhaps you are having difficulties relating to career, relationships or family life, or with emotions such as anger, anxiety or low mood. You might be struggling with addictions, with life changes or transitions, or you might be suffering with a sense of alienation or a crisis of meaning in your life. If so, I hope you will read on and get in touch if my approach resonates with you.

Has your drink or drug use started to get on top of you? Are you experiencing difficulties in relationships with those around you? Have you turned to self-destructive patterns of behaviour in an attempt to cope with low mood, difficult experiences or traumatic events? If this sounds like you then my years of experience as a Counsellor in the fields of substance misuse and in healing trauma may help to heal your fragmented parts and build your own motivation to make the behavioural changes you desire. Please follow the link to my website, where you can find out more about me and the way that I work.

If life feels like its falling apart and you feel lost, I can help you find your way back home reconnecting you to your mind, body and soul. Turning toward our suffering is not easy and you have already taking a very brave step by seeking help. I offer you a warm, open and peaceful space to gently explore the places in your life that feel disconnected and investigate the impact of this on your emotional, mental and physical health and wellbeing.

Feeling safety in a complex world is no mean feet. Childhood, historic, or current experiences, interacting/reacting with the complexities brought about by the pandemic, can exhaust any capacity for resilience. maybe you're a parent/carer of children transitioning from the intensity of lockdown to the uncertainty of the easing of restrictions? Is this further complicated by returning to education settings for children with Autism, ADHD, FASD, SPD, trauma and attachment? Maybe you are a foster care or adoptive parent wondering how to rebalance the attachment bond after the intensity of lockdown, recalibrating interfamilial dynamics?

I am a down to earth and approachable counsellor for children, young people and adults. I have 27 years experience working with young people who have been abused as well as people with neurodivergence. At times, feelings and behaviours can become difficult due to past trauma, increasing anxiety or for unknown reasons. We can also feel this physically and it blocks lifes natural progression. Past trauma does not need to be extreme and we often underestimate the impact an event has on us. I can help you make sense of your emotions and behaviours and manage your responses to triggers, allowing progression towrards your desired goals.

I am an integrative humanistic counselor with over twenty-five years of counseling experience; 12 years counseling in the NHS; 9 years in private practice, My approach is relational, underpinned by person-centered principles, integrating skills from a variety of modalities. Trauma-informed practice. I am experienced working with people from diverse walks of life intersectionally. I will work to form a warm relationship with you to identify what you wish to change, and how to get there. I will discuss your preferences for how we work and decide together how to proceed. Whatever your issue, I am interested in you as an individual.

If you are looking for therapy in Bristol then I can help. Life can be complicated and sometimes we need support to make changes and improve the quality of our lives. Entering into counselling or psychotherapy can be one of the hardest but bravest decisions you can make for yourself. I am an Integrative Psychotherapist, Trauma, Eating Disorder and Addiction Specialist. As well as ‘talking therapy’ and 'somatic (body) work' I incorporate eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy into my practice. To treat a range of psychological issues including complex trauma and attachment issues.

In life, we all experience loss and major changes; we face difficult choices and overwhelming feelings. As a counsellor I know support and self-understanding are key in moving forward positively, but as a human I know this is easier said than done. Finding the right therapist and the consequent process is deeply personal and should be rooted in trust, empathy and an accepting environment. With experience in trauma, addiction and mental health, my focus is you, and the respect and understanding of your unique story and context. Whatever is going on, together we can explore your past, make sense of the present and plan for the future.

I believe the most important thing in counselling is to develop a relationship of trust and confidence between therapist and client. I provide clients with a safe, confidential and warm space for them to reflect on the challenges they bring. Coming to counselling can be a daunting step; as a result it is that much more important to come into an accepting, empathic, non-judgemental environment. I take the view that there is no single approach that can be helpful to you in all situations. This gives more choice of how you want to look at your issues and creates flexibility to tailor therapy to your individual needs and aspirations.

I am an integrative counsellor, HCPC registered Music Therapist and Neurologic Music Therapist, with a MSc in Psychology of Pathological addictions, and further training, amongst others, in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Metacognitive Therapy. Currently, I'm finalizing my MSc in Clinical Psychology. Within a holistic person-centred approach, I include in my practice techniques based on mindfulness and breathwork, and, as a Registered Nurse, I bring a well-rounded understanding of health and patient care into my practice.

Counselling can provide you with much needed clarity when life seems full up, with no room left to think. As a qualified Counsellor and Psychotherapist I provide a non-judgemental, safe and confidential space to explore issues that you are facing, to look more closely at the impact that these are having in your life and to begin to gain new perspectives. As an integrative practitioner I am able to work flexibly with you, with my work being informed by different approaches including Gestalt, Person-centred, Psychodynamic and CBT. This means that I am able to work in a way that will best suit your individual needs.

We live in a culture that promotes the idea of strong, powerful individuals who live picture perfect lives. There is little room for showing our vulnerability, or our need for connection. There is a cultural expectation that when things are difficult for us we should just 'get over it' and not make a fuss, this might manifest in you with thoughts of "what's wrong with me", "why is this so hard" and "I should be able to manage by myself" and so on! You may be feeling fragmented, ​disconnected, numb, overwhelmed, fearful, unable to cope, you might feel like giving up.

Psychotherapy is a rare invitation to truth - a place to explore your self and your story, make sense of why you feel the way you do and ask how you might meet life's challenges in a more authentic, meaningful and fulfilling way. My approach is integrative, creative and embodied. It considers who you are and what happened to you, as well as what your heart desires. As a relational therapist, I also put your experience with me in therapy at the heart of our work together.

I am a trained integrative therapist and have worked in the areas of complex trauma, abuse, addiction and mental health for a number of years. I have trained as an integrative counsellor which means I have studied and experienced a wide variety of skills, techniques and theories that enable me to provide a tailored approach to each individual's specific goals and needs. I work in a safe, paced and creative way that will enrich the relationship and keep you, the client, resourced to engage in the therapeutic process.