Sam Gibbons

I am a BACP registered and professionally trained and qualified counsellor, and an ACTO registered, certified online and telehealth therapist. I offer a friendly and approachable counselling service to adults and young people (16yrs+) - I am currently offering appointments online and via telephone.

Making initial contact with a counsellor or psychotherapist can be difficult, and many people feel anxious in doing so. My aim is to make this process as supportive as possible for you; I offer a professional counselling service which is warm, empathic, non-judgemental, and flexible to your needs.

What has brought you here?

People come to counselling and psychotherapy for a variety of reasons. These may include feelings of distress, hopelessness, anxiety and/or unease, and often not knowing quite why you feel this way; a sense that ‘something just doesn’t feel quite right’. Maybe you are experiencing problematic thoughts and behaviours – thinking, feeling and/or behaving in ways which may lead to feelings of embarrassment, shame, or feeling a need to disappear. Or maybe you are experiencing feelings of low self-esteem, feeling depressed and unable to engage with life, feeling pessimistic, misunderstood and alienated.

Sometimes, people feel able to talk about their difficulties with a close friend or relative, but often these problems can feel too difficult, or too personal to discuss within a conventional relationship. Others may feel that they ‘should’ be able to work through such issues on their own, but they somehow feel that they are just too big.

How I can help

With the help of an objective and professional therapist, counselling allows you the opportunity to explore your thoughts and feelings in a safe and supportive environment, helping you make sense of the troubling conflicts between your emotions and your behaviour, and allowing the opportunity for positive change to take place.

The way I work is integrative and relational. But what does this mean?

​​Integrative refers to the multiplicity of theories and approaches from which I am able to draw upon during counselling. These include Humanistic therapies (incorporating Existential, Transactional Analysis, Person-Centred and Transpersonal Counselling), Developmental-Psychodynamic Counselling, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

As a Relational counsellor I believe the patterns of living and relating that emerge and develop within our personal relationships – with our family, our friends, our colleagues, the wider-environment, and also with ourselves, are central to who we are, how we feel, and how we behave. This includes the relationship shared between us as client and counsellor. During therapy, close attention is paid to what is happening between us; this helps us to build a strong working relationship built on trust and genuine acceptance whilst, crucially, allowing us the chance to identify difficult patterns of relating and problem management in a safe, contained and supported manner.

Engaging together in this way, we are able to create a collaborative working relationship and focus together on your issues, using a method that best suits you and your unique situation.

I have experience in helping people work through a broad range of issues, including;

• Generalised anxiety disorder
• Anxiety
• Health anxiety
• Depression
• Low self-esteem
• Suicidal thoughts and feelings
• Self-harm
• Stress
• Anger
• Bereavement
• Grief and loss
• Family issues
• Panic attacks
• Panic Disorder
• Phobias
• Childhood abuse
• Male rape and sexual abuse
• Bipolar Disorder/Manic Depression
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Obsessive thoughts and behaviours

I have particular experience in working with issues of self-identity versus the pressures and difficulties of fitting in with society.

I offer 50 minute counselling appointments Monday to Saturday. I can accept payment by way of cash, cheque, credit/debit card (in-person transactions only), direct bank transfer, and PayM.

• Face-to-face counselling – Monday to Friday: £60 per session
• Face-to-face counselling – Saturday: £70 per session
• Online counselling – Monday to Saturday: £50 per session
• Telephone counselling – Monday to Saturday: £50 per session

I also offer payment packages for pre-paid block bookings (terms apply – please contact me or visit my website for more details);

• 6 x face-to-face counselling sessions – Monday to Friday: £330
• 6 x face-to-face counselling sessions – Saturday: £390
• 6 x online counselling sessions – Monday to Saturday: £270
• 6 x telephone counselling sessions – Monday to Saturday: £270

I reserve a small number of reduced-fee spaces for people experiencing financial hardship - please contact me to discuss concessional options.

In order to provide extra support to those who need it due to the extra challenges and difficulties posed by the recent Coronavirus outbreak, I have extended the number of reduced-fee appointments for people experiencing financial hardship. Please do not hesitate to contact me for further information.