Nicky Callus

Hello and welcome to my profile.

I am an experienced, qualified counsellor, fully insured and an Accredited Member of the BACP, offering counselling to adults of all ages.

I see clients face to face in my consultancy room in Burgess Hill, in a private, peaceful setting.  I also offer online and telephone appointments.

For me, counselling is a mature means of providing good housekeeping for body, mind and emotions, especially during times when we are experiencing some kind of disturbance or difficulty.  During this challenging time, the impact of the pandemic on our wellbeing is very evident as people experience the effects of isolation, change, uncertainty and all kinds of loss.  Anxiety and low mood are rife, and people may find that they are turning more to food or to alcohol as a support.  Others find themselves more irritable, less able to maintain emotional balance, and feeling bad about themselves as a consequence, all very human reactions in times of sustained stress and pressure.

I offer a safe, confidential, and non-judgemental space to explore your particular situation.  My approach is integrative, allowing me to draw from a range of models to provide the individual attention you require.

My areas of work include:-

Anxiety and Depression
These are fluctuating personal experiences that sometimes can have a major negative effect on our quality of life. Counselling can help build the inner resources necessary to manage anxiety and depression, resources such as resilience and self awareness, and personalised ways to manage unhelpful mindsets.

Relationship Issues
Difficulty in relationship is common. How we experience others can be influenced by many things including childhood experience, fixed views and expectations we may hold about ourselves and others, lifestyle, and of course a myriad of changes that we humans experience throughout the course of our lives. Uncovering and attending to unmet needs, to patterns of relating and a willingness to strive to communicate in a more conscious way all help towards greater skill and satisfaction in relationship.

Bereavement and loss
As a volunteer hospice counsellor for six years, I supported people struggling with the death of loved ones, and also people who were facing their own end of life experiences. 

Loss touches many areas as we go through the life cycle, such as health, youth, status, physical and mental agility. Beliefs, hopes, dreams and faith can be challenged. Pain of the loss of love and relationship can be a major cause of suffering. 

Sometimes we turn to external substances to medicate away our pain....

Substance dependancy
Working formerly with Sussex Alcohol and Substance Use Services based at a local GP surgery, I have supported people who have struggled mainly with alcohol dependency.  Many such people are often high functioning, professional, family men and women, with good friends, on the surface showing little sign of their deepening relationship with alcohol.  They often come to counselling prompted by a particular incident such as loss of their driving licence, or the threat of job loss, or an ultimatum from a partner, or a health issue.

Eating Disorders
Some people find that eating rules their lives. They are fixated on body shape and weight. They may eat in secret, or yoyo diet, weight cycle, binge and purge. Sometimes people resolve the issue in its early stages. At other times, they come to counselling after many years of struggling alone with their eating difficulties. Isolation, depression, anxiety, poor body image, low self esteem, relationship difficulties are often companions to living obsessively with food.


Finally..
The counselling relationship is private, professional and finite. It has the potential to create valuable, life enhancing changes. I appreciate you might find taking the first step challenging. If you would like to get in touch with me, please e-mail or telephone; I am happy to respond to any queries you may have about my practice, or what to expect from counselling.  From there, if you like, we can arrange an initial appointment at a time suitable for you.

Wishing you all the best

Nicky Callus

For individual counselling my fee is £45 per 50 minute appointment.

A reduced fee of £40 per 50 minute appointment is available if you are a student counsellor in training.

If you are unsure about counselling, I can offer a free half hour chat over the phone. 

In Burgess Hill I am located within walking distance from both Burgess Hill and Wivelsfield train stations, and am also on the local bus route.

If my mobile phone diverts to the messaging service, please leave your details or text me and I will return your inquiry usually within a few hours. I check my e-mails daily.