Mel Riley

Training, qualifications & experience

My training has taken me all over the world, recently training with Bessel Van Der Kolk on trauma in the body and brain and in Italy. Also learning from Esther Perel Relationship expert in New York exploring working with males and masculinity in couples work.

My diplomas are  in Person Centred Counselling and a Post Grade Certificate in Play Therapy, systemic and family therapy and clinical supervision and consultancy.  My accreditation's are with BACP and  for adult work and I am senior accredited for children and young people.

I work with adults, children, couples and families on a range of issues from Depression, Relationship Problems, Bereavement, Self-Esteem building, Addictions, Stress, Anxiety, Eating Disorders, Divorce, separation etc.

I also have a therapy dog that can be used for dog phobias or to help engage clients who are difficult to reach including special needs clients.

I have experience of working in primary and secondary schools, hostels, prison and voluntary sector, charity organisations as well as working in private practice.  I  offer bespoke training and supervision for  counsellors and other helping professions.

Other areas of counselling I deal with

I also offer sessions with a therapy dog, for dog phobias or clients that may wish to work with Canine Assisted Therapy

Further information

My practice is 1 mile from Wolverhampton town centre and has free parking.

More information about me here in my video.

Testimonial

"When I entered into therapy I wasn’t at a crisis point in my life. I didn’t feel that I had major questions about myself, or actually that I even ‘needed’ therapy at all. The sole reason I began counselling was that it was required of me as part of a MA in Clinical Counselling.

I approached Mel initially because of geographical location, but after speaking to her on the phone I felt reassured by her quietly confident manner. It was unexpectedly nerve-wracking arranging to see Mel, and even more so when I arrived for the first session. I told her that despite the therapy being a requirement for me I was determined to do the process justice, be as honest as possible, and get my money’s worth! I had no idea where the sessions would lead and I began by talking about my life up to that point.

As the sessions continued I began to focus in on aspects of my life that I had never had chance to really explore. Although I ‘knew’ these things had happened, and had a sense of how I had felt about them at the time, counselling gave me an opportunity to revisit relationships, incidents, experiences and buried feelings and to start to unpick them and process them at a deeper level. With Mel’s facilitation I was often able to link experiences which had previously appeared separate, and to begin to make sense of them for myself. On many occasions I was deeply moved or shocked by the revelations that unfolded.

For me, being listened to at a deeply empathic level was very powerful. I also felt free from judgement which enabled me to be more open and honest than I have ever been- even with close friends. The result was that I achieved massive personal development and awareness, as well as a deeper acceptance of the whole of myself. This has had an impact on both my professional and personal life. For example, I now feel better able to handle difficult relationships and conversations, and I am mindful of my own unhelpful behaviours (although I’m still not always able to stop it happening at the time!). I am also more aware and accepting of my strengths and abilities. I try not to shrug off compliments as I used to, instead I take people’s feedback on board and thank them for it. If I receive ‘negative’ feedback I can handle it more robustly, and I am able to reflect on it without viewing it as a criticism.

Most importantly having counselling with Mel has increased my self-confidence and the way I feel about myself. I trust myself more to know what’s right for me, and that has been invaluable in the past few months. At the beginning of counselling I believed it was only right that I should have an insight into what I was intending to offer to my own clients after qualifying, however I was not expecting it to be such a profound experience"

Karen