About me
Hello, my name is Paula, I am a highly experienced counsellor and supervisor, specialising in couples counselling, neurodiversity affirming therapy and support for people who have experienced trauma. I am interested in personal growth and and enjoy working with trainee therapists. I offer face to face and online sessions.
Whether you are experiencing specific challenges or seeking greater self-understanding I am here to provide a safe and supportive space where you can speak openly and feel truly understood. You can explore your thoughts, feelings and life experiences without fear of being judged. My Person-centred approach supports you to find your own answers and to follow your own sense of rightness.
Individual Counselling
If you are feeling overwhelmed, worried. distressed and struggling in your relationships, individual counselling provides a warm and supportive space. Here you can share your true feelings and difficulties. You can move at your own pace and talk about whatever matters to you. Being genuinely seen and accepted can in itself bring clarity and a sense of healing.
Together we explore the areas that you choose to discuss, allowing fresh perspectives to emerge. You may become aware of long-standing patterns and changes that you would like to make. As part of the counselling process, many clients recognise their inherent strengths, leading to greater confidence, and fresh ways of moving forward in life.
Couples Therapy
Sometimes we become entrenched in our own point of view and it is very difficult to hear somebody else's perspective. Seeing beyond our own anger, hurt, and vulnerability can be very challenging.
Couples counselling is for any two people in a significant relationship including married couples, partners, friends, parent and child and siblings. As your counsellor I am here to listen to you both with empathy and compassion whilst helping you to communicate and understand each other. Often, people find that beneath details such as who does which job there are deeper issues, examples are: one person wanting more intimacy than the other, difficulties with trust, and external pressures from family and work.
Neurodiversity
Neurodivergent people can experience challenges due their particular traits and as a result of being neurodivergent in a largely neurotypical society. During counselling we can work with the emotional and relational effects. You might want to explore your experiences at home, school, college and work. Counselling is an opportunity to learn more about yourself, what matters to you, what you want and what you need.
Free meetings
I offer a free 20 minute phone or Zoom call. This is an opportunity for us to find out a little more about each other and you are very welcome to ask me any questions.
Practicalities
People sometimes ask me how many sessions they will need. Counselling can be for a few weeks, months or even years. This depends upon your needs and preference. Most people find that weekly sessions are best to begin with, later on you might decide upon fortnightly sessions.
On weekdays I have daytime and evening appointments, both online and face to face in Stanmore, HA7, close to Harrow, Kenton, Bushey and Edgware.
Counselling is confidential and I abide by the BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Focusing
Focusing is a gentle and yet powerful practice that supports self-awareness and self-acceptance. It recognises that our body knows and can tell us what we need for physical and emotional health, bringing deeper understandings of ourselves, our wants and our needs.
I am a registered practitioner and mentor with the British Focusing Association (BFA). I teach the BFA Certificate in Focusing Skills. Participants learn and practice Focusing and Companioning skills in a supportive and friendly group atmosphere which we create together. Topics include:
- Focusing with physical pain and illness
- Working with the inner critic
- Focusing with dreams
- Working with action blocks
- The living forward energy
- Understanding trauma
I also teach the BFA Practitioner training which qualifies people to offer Focusing to individuals professionally. Please see my website for further information about guided Focusing sessions and training.
Training, qualifications & experience
I am a BACP Accredited Counsellor and Supervisor and a British Focusing Association Certified Focusing Professional Trainer and Mentor.
I Have a diploma in Person-Centred Counselling.
Certificates in Couples Counselling, Supervision and Focusing.
I have completed an online diploma in Autism and 150 hours training in ADHD awareness.
I am a member of the following professional organisations:
- BACP - British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
- TPCA - The Person-Centred Approach Association
- BFA - British Focusing Association.
I have counselling experience in the organisations below
- Mental health
- People affected by cancer and relatives
- People affected by gambling
- People with drug and alcohol related issues
- Counselling children using creative play materials
- Young people and parents
I have supervised groups of counsellors at the following organisations
- College Counselling Service
- Young people and parents
- General counselling
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
- Exploring how you identify yourself. This can include your beliefs, values, ethnicity, gender and sexuality.
- Living with ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Aspergers
- Difficulties with eating and food
- Self harm
- Feeling lonely and isolated
- Abuse and bullying
- Difficulties at work, college and school
- Cultural and religious issues
- Exploring spirituality
- Children's counselling, with creative play materials such as crayons, sand and puppets
Therapies offered
Fees
£65.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Individuals £65 an hour for counselling and supervision
Children's counselling £65 for 50 minutes
Couples £75.00 for one hour
Families £85.00 for one hour
Trainee counsellors, Counselling and Supervision £55 an hour.
Focusing second mentor £50 an hour
Guided Focusing half an hour £35.00
I offer a free 20 minute phone or Zoom call. This is an opportunity for us to find out a little more about each other and you are very welcome to ask me any questions.
When I work
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early morning | |||||||
| Morning | |||||||
| Early afternoon | |||||||
| Late afternoon | |||||||
| Evening |
Monday to Thursday 10am - 8pm Friday 10am - 4pm
Further information
Sessions are online or in person. My practice is in Stanmore HA7, near to Harrow, Bushey, Pinner, Kenton and Edgware. Bus routes H18, H19, I86. There is off street parking.
