Nicola Terry

I am a fully qualified, BACP registered and accredited counsellor/psychotherapist holding 20 years' experience with many kinds of problems. Initially trained in person-centred therapy, I now work in an integrative way - my experience has shown me that different people need different things at different times.

My integrative approach enables me to work flexibly with a variety of people and their concerns. Aiming to always work in a way that is the most helpful for my clients, I see the value of using other approaches to therapy, understanding that everybody is different in the way that they look at their life and how they may understand their problems.

For example, some clients may find it helpful to explore their past, in particular their childhood experiences - relationships with parents, siblings, family members or other significant figures in their lives, often shedding light on their current problems, difficult relationships or unhelpful beliefs about themselves.

Other clients prefer to focus on specific concerns, collaborating together on a work plan or agenda and then seeking solutions and working towards their goals. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), which works towards developing ways of coping with or changing negative thought patterns or behaviours, can often be very helpful in this and many of my clients have found it useful to collaborate and discuss ways forward in their sessions. This is always done with small 'bite-size' moves, always with a view to making it realistic and achievable.

Exploring issues of neurodiversity and working with sensory experience can provide useful information for some clients: understanding more about one's 'sensory profile', that is, how you might experience your environment, your internal experience and making sense of how your type of sensory processing and the degree of sensitivity you might have, can be impacting your life and well-being. Creating strategies to cope with overwhelm or overstimulation have proved life-changing for many clients in the past.

At times, we might work with the concept of the 'inner child' as well as the many other 'parts' of us that require our attention and can help us to understand ourselves more deeply.

General self-care and lifestyle choices, depending on each person's unique needs, can be explored too. Learning ways to relax and self-regulate - soothing the body and mind, using breathing techniques, mindfulness and other grounding techniques - have been useful to many. This can be of particular importance if there have been traumatic events in the person's history still affecting the body now, causing tension, rage, sleeplessness, anxiety or panic.

Sometimes, clients will identify unhelpful lifestyle habits or patterns, such as how their diet and eating styles affect their moods, getting insufficient sleep or other stressful factors in their lives, and then work gradually toward making small changes to their self-care, understanding more about how to help themselves feel better both mentally and physically.

Many clients simply need a regular, trustworthy, safe and private space to speak and be heard without judgement or criticism, with an opportunity to learn and make sense of their experiences.

Ultimately, I strive to provide all of my clients with a warm and confidential space, always allowing them to guide me in providing the right kind of support and information they might need; assisting them to work through their specific problems in a way that feels right to them.

Loss

Managing life changes

Racism and ethnic discrimination

Social and cultural oppression

Queerphobia - homophobia, biphobia & transphobia

Coming out

Individuals  £60 - £80 per hour session.

I offer a sliding scale depending on income and invite each person to choose what is affordable.

Making sure you feel comfortable when choosing your counsellor/psychotherapist is highly important and is the reason I offer a free, no obligation, 20-30 minute call or meeting, giving you a chance to come and meet me and also see the premises from which I work. It's crucial that you feel at ease and you are invited to ask me ANY questions and generally spend a little time to try and get a good sense of what it might be like for us to work together.

If after this meeting you decide that me and/or my approach is not for you, then this is absolutely fine and there is no charge for that time. If however, you feel comfortable and decide to stay to discuss things further, giving us time to begin the assessment and contract, the rest of the hour will be made available to do this and the whole hour (or amount of time used that day) will then be charged at the agreed rate.

I am also more than happy to discuss any concerns or questions via email, whichever is preferred.

I have week day availability (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays half day).

There is usually car parking available outside or near the premises and frequent bus services run within 100m from the door.

Unfortunately, there is no wheelchair access due to my consulting room being situated in a room on the first floor at the top of a flight of stairs and no lift available.

Please feel free to call me for an informal chat about anything at all to do with attending sessions; I have an answer machine and will always return your calls and emails.