Libby Webber
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This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.
About me
Hello and thanks for taking a look at my profile. I’m a counsellor based in Southsea, Hampshire and have been in practice for over 15 years.
I see people for face to face sessions at my home-based office whilst still offering online appointments for anyone who would prefer to work that way. I work with individuals and couples and my aim is to help you live a life that is more fulfilling, less stressful and more connected with the people and values that are important to you.
How I work
For individuals: I work by being curious about you and your world and what life is like for you and how you’d like things to be different. So if you and I were to start a conversation about your life, I’d be asking: what’s the most important question or problem that’s keeping you awake at night? What’s the thing you would most want me to understand so that together we can start looking for a better way forward?
It might be about where you’re going in your life; do you need a new direction, personally or professionally? It could be about getting over a loss or bereavement; do you need someone to listen to your painful feelings without judgement? It could be about depression or anxiety; are you looking for coping skills and self-acceptance?
For couples: I work with couples using an 8-10 session counselling programme which will help you understand and communicate better so that you’re more able to resolve the problems between you. These could be due to the fallout from an affair, a feeling that you’re drifting apart, problems over childcare, clashes over jobs, household responsibilities etc.
When working with couples, I’ll be asking not just about what’s happening between you in the present day but also about your experiences of relationships and family life in the past so we can understand how that might be playing out for both of you today.
Whatever your reasons for coming to counselling, as an individual or as part of a couple, there are some tools and resources that I’ll offer as part of the therapy process; for example,
- becoming aware of how your body responds when you talk about a particular person or situation - when do you tense up? When do you relax? Where in your body do you feel these sensations?
- using your breathing pattern to calm and self-soothe when you’re feeling anxious, stressed, angry or depressed
- becoming curious about your family history and past experiences and how they continue to influence you in the present
- techniques such as journaling, writing letters which need not be sent, brainstorming ideas for action, painting or drawing to express emotion, evidence gathering for or against a self limiting belief, creative visualisation and mindfulness
- communication techniques, particularly for couples, such as listening and feeding back what’s been said; understanding how things said in the present can trigger forgotten memories from the past.
And of course, it’s entirely up to you which of these, if any, you would like to work with. The session is your time and space.
If you’d like to drop me a line with any questions or a booking enquiry, I can usually offer an appointment within a week either for a free 15-minute introduction (with no obligation to take it any further) or to book a first session.
How do you know I’m ‘legit’?
I’m a member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, one of the U.K’s professional membership associations, which means I’ve reached an appropriate level of training and experience for the work that I do. It also means I work to a set of ethical guidelines including rules on confidentiality, ‘doing no harm’, professional boundaries etc. I have professional indemnity insurance to cover my practice, do regular CPD training to update my skills and have clinical supervision with a senior colleague to support my work. If in any doubt, please do check out my listing (membership number NCS15-02266) on the National Counselling Society website: www.nationalcounsellingsociety.org
Here are some of the issues I can help you with:
- Recovery after an affair
- considering whether to separate
- improving communication in a relationship
- reducing stress and anxiety
- improving self-esteem and self-confidence
- enhancing self-awareness
- getting over a bereavement or a change in life circumstances e.g disability, retirement, the end of a relationship etc
- finding meaning in life when it seems to have disappeared
More about how I work
"Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end" (Robin Sharma)
So there's something about your life or the way you're feeling that you want to change - although it might not seem like it, this is a good sign; it's only when we become aware that something's wrong that we can start doing something to make it better.
I believe that everyone has the ability to make changes in their lives, and I agree with the self-help writer Robin Sharma that it can be difficult; that sometimes self-doubt, anxiety or pain (physical or emotional) can get in the way and stop us making different choices about how we feel, think or behave.
Getting a sense of perspective on what you're feeling and thinking, and developing a sense of self-compassion and understanding is a good first step; because being harsh and self-critical towards yourself can often be a barrier to change.
Sometimes our family background, life experiences and deep-seated beliefs about ourselves and/or others can get in the way too; life 'knocks us out of shape' and we start doubting ourselves and our ability to change or adapt.
Counselling helps make links between past experiences and present-day problems, and then to work on how you'd like your life to be in the future. Sometimes 'the end of next week' is about as far ahead as you can see right now, but that's ok too. Clearing away the emotional clutter so as to gain clarity does take time, but it starts with a single thought - 'I want things to be different'.
Getting started in counselling
I offer a free 10-15-minute phone call, so that we can get a sense of what each other is like and whether we're a good 'fit' for working together.
We can also talk about what you want to get out of counselling and what your questions are at this stage.
If that feels right, we can arrange a first appointment at a mutually convenient time, usually within about a week. I'll then send you (by text or email) my bank details - I do ask for the session fee to be paid in advance for that first appointment.
In the first session, there's time to talk in more detail about what's troubling you, and we can decide what to focus on. At the end of the session, we'll book in for a second one - it's most effective if we see each other weekly, at least at the beginning, but I do understand that this isn't always possible. We can discuss what's realistic for you.
If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, then please contact me for more information.
Training, qualifications & experience
My experience
I’ve been a counsellor since 2008 and over the years have worked with people on a very wide range of issues, including:
- anxiety and how to move on from it
- grief, loss, bereavement and sadness and how to rediscover a sense of purpose
- feeling ‘stuck in a rut’, midlife crisis, boredom and dissatisfaction and how to reignite your passion for life
- low self-esteem or self-confidence and how to build yourself back up
- long term ill-health and disability and how to live well with long term conditions
My training
I completed my professional practice training at Southampton University with a Higher Education Diploma in Integrative Counselling; I have completed further professional training in:
- TA-based Couples Counselling
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Working with Chronic Pain
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Using art materials in counselling
- Mindful Recovery from Addiction
- Understanding and working with M.E (myalgic encephalopathy) in counselling
- Working with creative materials in therapy and supervision
- Focusing-Oriented Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Working with young people experiencing depression
- Working with addictions
- Working with anxiety
- Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
My background
Before training as a counsellor I spent 25 years working in the media as a producer in television and radio, as well as mentoring and coaching new entrants into the industry. I grew up in rural Scotland but have lived in different parts of England since the 1990’s; I’ve lived in Southsea for over 14 years. Alongside my counselling practice, I'm also a trainer on disability issues for therapists, with an online training course and tailored face to face workshops. I have lived experience of step-parenting and living with disability/caring responsibilities and these also inform my counselling work and the therapeutic relationships I offer.
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.
The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society
This Not For Profit association of counsellors and psychotherapists aim to support the counselling profession, members and training organisations.
In 2013 the NCS register was accredited by the Professional Standards Authority under the Accredited Voluntary Register Scheme. Accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
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
Becoming disabled
Mid-life crisis
'Meaning of life' or existential issues
Life/skills coaching
Becoming a step-parent
Therapies offered
Fees
£55.00 - £70.00
Free initial telephone session
Additional information
My counselling fee for individuals is £55.00 for each 50 minute session.
My fee for couples counselling is £70.00 per 60 minute session.
When I work
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My working hours are 10.00-18.30 (last available session time starts at 17.30). I’ll always try to be flexible to accommodate childcare, work schedules and other responsibilities.