Andrea Simson
Every professional displayed on Counselling Directory has been independently verified by our team to ensure they have suitable credentials to practise.
This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
Individual counselling
For me, counselling is all about building a trustworthy relationship with my clients. This allows the client to open up through talking and get the most out of their session. I strive to create sessions that are held in a safe, professional and non-judgemental environment.
My role is to listen and deepen my client's experience in the room by allowing them to come to realisations about their lives and relationships; not just in the counselling room, but outside the room too.
So often, what happens in the counselling room reflects what is happening to a client in their everyday relationships. I see my job as enabling clients to see the correlation between our discussions and their everyday lives.
Couples counselling
As with individual counselling, couples counselling provides a safe space where any issues or difficulties can be brought into the room and explored. This safe, supportive environment is designed to help couples resolve their differences, reach compromises or come up with solutions that will benefit both parties. Sometimes the solution may actually be to separate, in these cases counselling can help support both parties as they navigate this situation.
There are times when those wonderful feelings of love, support, comfort and connection we feel when we are in a relationship can be replaced with pain, conflict or a feeling of isolation. This could be for a variety of reasons such as jealousy, breakdown of trust, lack of intimacy, work related stress, wider family issues or financial difficulties. The counselling room allows you to explore all these issues and more; to really get to the root of the disconnect and negative feelings.
Some couples will seek out counselling because their relationship has reached a breaking point, others because they are starting to sense that there could be hard times ahead. It is never too early or late to come together to seek support.
It’s easy to forget to consider whether one or both parties have unwittingly brought trauma from past relationships to their current one. Having an opportunity to explore this possibility and heal can not only have a wonderfully positive effect on the current relationship but on the individual too. This also gives their partner a chance to understand them on a deeper level.
Ultimately, the aim of couples counselling is to create a healthy, balanced, connected relationship, if that is what both partners want. A counsellor will guide, support and offer tools but ultimately you will only get the outcome you desire if both individuals are prepared to be honest and put in the hard work, effort and commitment required. This is the only way change can happen for an individual and couple alike.
Some common issues that can be explored through couples counselling include:
lack of trust, betrayal or affair, jealousy, lack of communication, financial issues, work-related stress, different sexual needs or other sexual issues, family conflicts, different goals and values, different parenting styles, life changes · trouble with commitment or taking on responsibilities.
Psychosexual Therapy
Sex therapy is a specialised form of talk therapy that focuses on issues related to sexual health, intimacy, and relationships. It is designed to help individuals and couples address a wide range of sexual concerns, whether they stem from physical, psychological, emotional, or relational factors. Unlike traditional medical treatments, sex therapy focuses on communication, education, and emotional exploration to improve sexual well-being and relationship satisfaction.
Sex therapy offers a holistic approach to improving sexual well-being by focusing on emotional, mental, and relational aspects, without judgment or pressure.
Seeing a sex therapist can be beneficial for a variety of reasons, especially when dealing with issues related to sexual health, relationships, and intimacy. A sex therapist is trained to help individuals and couples navigate complex challenges that might be difficult to address on their own. Here are some common reasons to seek help from a sex therapist:
Sexual Dysfunction, Communication Issues in Relationships, Desire Discrepancies, Performance Anxiety, Trauma or Abuse, Body Image or Self-Esteem Issues, Kinks, Fetishes, or Alternative Lifestyles, Medical Conditions or Disabilities, Post-Surgery or Menopause
Sex therapy does not involve physical touch or sexual activity during the sessions. The work is strictly conversational and focused on emotional and psychological aspects of sexuality.
"Awareness - Responsibility - Choice"
People’s capacity to make life-affirming choices is directly affected by their awareness. Once you are aware then you are responsible, giving you the choice to make changes or stay the same.
Please feel free to make contact without obligation by phone or email. I may not be able to answer the phone, but please leave a message or send me a text. I am to respond within 24 hours. Your enquiry will be dealt with in confidence.
Locations: Ashtead, Weybridge.
Training, qualifications & experience
BA (hons) Integrative -Relational Counselling. Middlesex University.
NCFE Level 2 & 3 Counselling skills and theory. Level 6 in couples counselling and Psychosexual therapy.
Continued Professional Development.
- Couples counselling
- Sex therapy
- Anxiety and depression
- Low moods
- Relationship problems
- Shame and Guilt
- Stress / PTSD
I have full professional indemnity insurance
I hold a current enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service).
As a Registered and accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy I adhere to their Ethical Framework.I'm a registered member of COSRT
Regular supervision to ensure professional and ethical practice.
Experience
- Work in a GP surgery, for Relate and Private practice.
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
Therapies offered
Fees
£80.00 - £89.05
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Individual counselling - £80
Couples and Psychosexual therapy - £90
When I work
Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Morning | |||||||
Afternoon | |||||||
Evening | |||||||
Night |
Monday - Friday