Thomas Keith Irwin

We seek the support of a counsellor for many different reasons. Maybe you are experiencing problems in your life at work, home or in relationships, and you do not fully understand why. Perhaps you have been through early trauma or traumatic experiences that are having difficulty coming to terms with. You may have been bereaved, separated, divorced or are struggling to find fulfilling relationships in your life. You may have financial problems, debt or addiction.

Sharing experiences, difficulties and feelings with someone who is not connected to your life and is non-judgemental can help you make sense of what has happened or is happening. Therapy is a creative and healing process but can also stir up painful feelings - I aim to be facilitative and respectful at all times but therapy also involves being challenged at times.

There are many different sorts of approaches offered by therapists which can be confusing for clients. I am an integrative therapist which means I tailor therapy sessions for the individual client as each person will need something different.  I believe in accepting the person as they are and that everyone has the capacity for positive change - I am not there to give advice or tell you what to do. Being integrative, I draw upon many different psychological theories and approaches. At the heart of my work is the belief in the importance of the therapeutic relationship and that through this the client will have different experiences of relating with others which leads to positive shifts, over time in their lives.

I offer an initial assessment to understand your current difficulties and to talk through together what sort of help you are looking for. After the assessment we discuss whether you are happy to continue and start therapy or whether you would like to find support elsewhere – it may be that we are not suitable to work together or that you require a different kind of support that I am unable to offer.

If we agree to begin therapy, then a therapeutic contract is made, setting out the expected duration of the therapy, where and when we will meet, and the cost.

Therapy can be short-term or long-term – I will discuss with you what is appropriate for your circumstances as everyone has different needs. We can also work together using the telephone or voice and video conferencing over the internet.

Next Steps

Therapy is an interactive and collaborative process between you and the therapist. Making the first move towards getting in touch takes courage and it is natural to feel a little apprehensive.

I offer an initial consultation which will give us an opportunity to meet each other and ascertain how therapy might be helpful to you at this time. As part of this first consultation, you will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. There is no commitment to ongoing work at this stage.

During this consultation we can think about whether you would like to meet for regular weekly appointments, and if so, establish a regular day and time to meet. Regular sessions last for 50 minutes and their consistency is important in facilitating and giving momentum to the work of therapy.

I offer daytime, evening and weekend appointments.

My standard fee is £50 per 50 minute session.

I have a limited number of concession spaces available for students or those on a low wage.