Nicole Marais MA., Dip.Psych. UKCP MBACP MBACP - Coaching

Violet Hill Studios 6 Violet Hill St John's Wood London NW8 9EB View map	London N19 View map
07729 342280 www.nicolemarais.co.uk Click here to Email me

Profile

Welcome...... Searching for a psychotherapist, counsellor or life-coach can be a pretty overwhelming and sometimes scary experience. You may question many things such as; Who shall I choose? Who can help me? How do I take the first step?

I agree it can be a daunting task to call or email someone you don't know to talk about something so private that you may have indeed never shared with anyone else. So, I gently invite people to have a brief chat over the phone with me to see if it feels right for the person and that I can help them. Then if it does feel right - we arrange an initial session at no charge in which I take a few details and spend the rest of the session exploring what you want to explore - at your pace.

I am also frequently asked ‘How do I do therapy, counselling or coaching' what are the ‘rules’.

I usually respond with something like – “Whilst humanity is our ‘glue’, each person is an individual so how one person talks about an issue may be different to another, and it is those differences that make us who we are”. Some people are introvert, some extrovert and so on – so there is no one way to ‘do therapy, counselling or coaching’.

To help you make a decision as to whether to contact me - below are more details about me and the way I work.

I am a fully qualified psychotherapist, counsellor and life coach. I have worked with people for many years now. People I work with often feel that life is getting on top of them - they may be in a relationship that no longer feels the same or 'right', may be in a job they don't like, are bereaved, are caught up in an addictive cycle, are depressed, suffering low self esteem, are highly self critical, feel lost or are in a spiritual crisis or indeed something else which comes with the sometimes complex difficulties of being a person, which means they are not living the life they want - they have lost confidence, often feeling blocked, afraid, frustrated, lonely - experiencing a range of issues in relation to themselves, others, their working lives and the world. I can help with general life guidance through to depth psychotherapy.

You and Ways of Working........

Feelings, Thoughts, Behaviours, Choices - we connect our feelings with our thoughts and behave accordingly. Feelings are potent. They can lead to impulsive action. Self awareness can lead to more varied and wiser choices, a greater sense of personal fulfilment and wellbeing. Indeed, more businesses are learning that it is not just IQ but also EQ - emotional intelligence - self awareness, that helps people to build bridges with clients and flourish in the workplace. So, it is becoming more and more widely accepted for people to undertake personal development for both personal and professional reasons.

Together we can explore feelings, thoughts, behaviours and their connections to your choices - to become who you are meant to be and get the life you want.

As well as talking, I work with body awareness (body language), body symptoms (illnesses, unexplained pains), breath-work, creative visualisation, dreams, drawing, meditation and others. I listen to what the person is saying and to the silences. I honour the person's pace and work with them to find the ways which they find most helpful.

I also provide Cognitive Behavioural Therapy more commonly known as CBT which can help you change how you think (‘Cognitive’) and what you do (‘Behaviour’). It looks in detail at your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, identifying the patterns and teaches you ways of dealing with and overcoming the problems with the aim of breaking negative cycles.

What problems can CBT help with?

CBT can help with issues such as ; anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic attacks, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, stress. It may also be able to help with anger management, extreme tiredness – fatigue, pain management, self esteem issues and others.

Who is it suitable for?

CBT can be suitable for many people experiencing the above issues. It is interested in dealing with the ‘here and now’ problems a person is having in their lives. It would take an initial session to establish whether CBT is suitable or whether another approach is required. Sometimes, CBT can be used in conjunction with other methods if a person wants to understand themselves on a deeper level.

How does CBT work?

CBT breaks the issues down into ‘bite sized pieces’ which makes it easier to see how they are linked, which reduces the sense of being overwhelmed and enables the person to take control back.

Hypnosis

Whilst in science there is a debate as to whether hypnosis truly exists or works – it is growing in popularity.

In a hypnosis therapy session – the person usually experiences a deep sense of relaxation with their attention narrowed down and focused on appropriate suggestions made by the therapist – which have been jointly agreed. The aim of the suggestions are to help people make positive changes within themselves and their lives. Hypnotism is ultimately about self empowerment. It would take an initial session to establish whether hypnotism is suitable or whether another approach is required. Further, sometimes hypnotism can be used in conjunction with other methods of therapy again, if a person wants understand themselves on a deeper level.

Training, Qualifications & Experience

Member of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

Member of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (MBACP)

Member of the British Association for Counselling &
Psychotherapy (MBACP) - Coaching Division

Master of Arts in Transpersonal Counselling & Psychotherapy 2007 Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy Education (CCPE) & De Montfort University

Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy 2006
(Degree Equivalent)(CCPE)

Certificate in Fundamentals of Counselling and Psychotherapy 2002
(CCPE)

Diploma in Anatomy Physiology & Body Massage 1999
(International Therapy Examination Council (ITEC))

I undertake on-going regular Continuing Professional Development in accordance with the BACP and UKCP codes of ethics.

Areas of counselling I deal with

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Career Change
Confusion
Dissociation
Distress
Fear
Life Crisis
Loneliness
Loss of Purpose
Mental Health
Redundancy
Spiritual Matters

Therapies Offered

Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Psychoanalytical and Psychodynamic

Psychodynamic Therapy

Humanistic Therapies

Person-Centred Counselling

Gestalt Therapy

Transactional Analysis

Transpersonal Psychology

Existential Therapy

Other Therapies

Integrative

Art Therapy/Art Psychotherapy

Fees

First session is free.

I operate a sliding scale for fees based on the individual's circumstances. Minimum fee is £60.00 for individuals. £100.00 for couples. Some concessions are available. They are payable at the end of each session by cash or cheque or monthly in advance.

Fees are revised on an annual basis.

Times
Individual sessions last 50 minutes and are usually on a weekly basis, and occasionally twice weekly if required - usually at the same time and place. Couples sessions last for 50mins/90mins/120 mins and are charged pro rata.

Cancellation Policy
7 days notice is needed for any date/time changes or cancellations. Otherwise the full fee is usually charged. There is some flexibility in the event of an emergency.

Shorter term counselling can be mutually agreed for varying times, i.e. 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and so on. This can be renewed as often as required.

4 weeks notice is required before ending longer-term therapy.

I do not charge if I am away or forced to cancel.

For full details please see my website
www.nicolemarais.co.uk

Further Information

I work integratively which means I use a fusion of therapies to enable a fuller picture of the person to unfold. The sessions work with the person and their way of being rather than fitting the person into a particular theory. So as well as talking, I work with body awareness (body language), body symptoms (illnesses, unexplained pains), breathwork, meditation, dreams, creative visualisation, drawing and others. I listen to what the person is saying and and to the silences. I honour the person's pace and work with them to find the ways which they find most helpful.

I also provide Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as well as Hypnosis, and Emotional Freedom Technique.