About me
Helping Teenagers and Young Adults Build Confidence, Self-Belief and Emotional Resilience
Hi, I'm Ben.
I'm a qualified counsellor and self-esteem coach with over 25 years of experience supporting young people in education, wellbeing, and personal development.
I know how overwhelming life can feel when you're struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem, self-doubt, or a lack of confidence. My own experience of receiving support showed me how powerful it can be to have someone alongside you who listens, understands, and helps you see things differently. That experience ultimately inspired me to train as a counsellor and dedicate my career to helping young people discover their strengths and believe in themselves.
How I Can Help
Many of the young people I work with experience:
- Anxiety and overthinking
- Low confidence and self-esteem
- Self-doubt and negative self-talk
- Stress and pressure from school, college or work
- Friendship and relationship difficulties
- Motivation and identity challenges
- Worries about the future
- Together, we work to understand what's getting in the way and build the confidence, resilience, and self-belief needed to move forward.
My Approach
My work combines counselling and self-esteem coaching, creating a supportive space where young people can explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences while also recognising their strengths and potential.
I believe every young person already possesses qualities that can help them grow and thrive. Sometimes they simply need support to recognise them.
My approach focuses on:
Building self-esteem and self-worth
Developing emotional resilience
Challenging the inner critic
Recognising strengths and personal qualities
Managing anxiety and difficult emotions
Building confidence in relationships and everyday life
Creating positive and realistic goals for the future
I often use practical tools and exercises that help young people recognise evidence of their strengths and achievements, enabling them to develop a stronger and more positive sense of self.
Ways to Work With Me
I offer:
Face-to-face counselling
Online counselling sessions
Walk and Talk Therapy in the Chiltern Hills
Home visits where appropriate
Self-esteem coaching with weekly goal specific feedback
Sessions are always tailored to the individual, recognising that no two young people are the same.
Therapeutic Approaches
I draw upon a range of evidence-based approaches including:
Person-Centred Counselling
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Transactional Analysis
Solution-Focused Coaching
Mindfulness Techniques
As a registered member of the BACP, I work within an ethical framework that prioritises safety, respect and confidentiality.
Experience
My experience includes:
Over 25 years working with young people in education
Supporting student wellbeing at leadership level within schools
Volunteering with Bucks Mind and Time To Talk
Creating and delivering Teen Self-Esteem Clubs
Training as a Certified Self-Esteem Coach
Supporting young people with anxiety, depression, exam stress and emotional wellbeing challenges
Working with neurodiverse young people, including those with ADHD and Dyslexia
My Aim
My aim is simple:
To help young people feel heard, understood, valued, and more confident in who they are.
Whether through counselling, coaching, or a combination of both, I help young people move from self-doubt to self-belief so they can face life's challenges with greater confidence and resilience.
What Parents Say
“Thank you for being so terrific with my 10-year-old son who was suffering with high levels of anxiety… Your kind and gentle approach eased him back onto an even keel with regained confidence. His fears have melted away.”
If you’re a teen—or a parent of one—looking for support, I’m here to help. Let’s build that climbing frame together, one step at a time.
Book your session today and take the first step toward a brighter, more confident future.
Training, qualifications & experience
Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling 2020
BA Hons Degree with QTS (25 years)
Graydin Coaching Journey Course 2024
Testimonials
01/07/26
Jack even said after his first session, I feel so much lighter already 😊 thank you so much, we are very lucky. You’ve been an amazing help for him.
Honestly couldn’t have wished for a better therapist for our 12 year old son, he worked wonders in just a few sessions. Our son is so much happier now, we can’t thank Ben enough ☺️
15/10/25 (16 Yr old)
My son really enjoyed the sessions. They helped him open up and begin to untangle everything that had been weighing on his mind. It also made a big difference in how he coped with all the changes happening in his life at the time.
10/01/25 (14 Yr old)
I’d like to thank Ben for his help with our son. Initially he did some walk and talk sessions and then when the light went he went online. He was always professional, on time and patient with our son. He is now feeling much better and able to face some of the challenges of the world. Thank you
01/02/24 (11 year old)
My son I are were saying this morning how far he had come and how significantly positive your guidance for him was. He said you gave him the solutions to help him move forward when he was always hitting that wall of anxiety.
I am so grateful for what you did for him and I know he is too.
10/02/23
I took my teenage Daughter to see Ben as she had been finding , in her own words, life was getting on top of her. A friend mentioned counselling and we reached out to Ben for assistance.
After the initial consultation she immediately felt relieved that the issues she was having were normalised. After four or five sessions we now have the loving, bubbly daughter that we once had. She is more aware of her feelings and is being proactive in discussing how she feels. We, as parents, are also aware of changes in behavioural patterns and are pleased to see the lines of communication between us as a family are stronger than ever.
I wholeheartedly recommend using Ben’s services as he has demonstrated excellent counselling and professionalism throughout this on-going process.
23/01/23 - We came across Ben when looking for some help for our 14 year old daughter who was struggling with low self esteem, low confidence and lack of motivation following a move to a new area and school. Ben‘s professionalism, patience, kindness and care was greatly appreciated in helping our daughter manage her transition. I have no doubt at all that Ben loves what he does and offers a much needed and invaluable space to talk and connect to any child or teen that may be struggling with life’s challenges.
05/01/23 - I’d like to thank you for all your help, my 15 year old son is in a much better place and is so much happier, I’m really grateful.
06/02/22 - Regular sessions allowed me to feel at ease speaking with Ben about personal things in my life and I felt a weight had been lifted after every session. I will use some of the strategies he taught me for the rest of my life.
25/01/22 - I approached Ben to support my daughter. She was struggling with low self esteem and confidence challenges. Ben was incredibly easy to communicate with and had a clear idea of how he would support my daughter. She absolutely loved her sessions with Ben and applied everything she learnt from working with Ben to her day to day life. Within a month her confidence is soaring and she is enjoying school again. We are so grateful to Ben for his support.
01/12/21 - I wanted to take this opportunity to say the most enormous thank you. You have helped him accept himself in a new way....you picked up the pieces when I as a parent could not.
06/04/21 - My son is 13 years old and he suffered from anxiety after joining a new school. Ben was a calming and sympathetic counsellor who provided a range of strategies for him to deal with his issues. I’m pleased to say Ben has had a super impact!
Ongoing Training
2025
Good enough Parenting - Dr Tara Porter (Clinical Psychologist)
2024
(1) Building Resilience in Girls - Doctor Maryham Baker
(2) Positive Psychology - Emily Kenefick (School Psychologist)
(3) Supporting Teens to Flourish - Ben Kerr-Shaw (Director of Character Formation)
(4) Raising Future Ready Girls - How not to screw your girls up! Doctor Maryham Baker
2023
(1) Neurodiversity and Wellbeing with Sarah Jane Critchley
(2) Eating Disorders and difficulties. Understanding and responding with Pooky Knightsmith
(3) OCD and Anxiety in Children: A Parents’ Guide with Dr Anna Conway Morris
(4) The Importance of Sleep for Wellbeing with Doctor Gabriella Romano
(The Sleep Charity)
(5) How to Build Positive Relationships with Emily Kenefick
(6) Graydin Coaching methods (recap)
(7) When Girls Fall Out - Teenage girls and friendship groups and what to and not say to girls.
(8) Ringleaders and Side Kicks by Rosalind Wiseman- How to help boys cope with classroom politics, bullying, girls and growing up.
Member organisations
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
CBT
Solution focuses
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£40.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Counselling £40
Self Esteem Coaching £20
When I work
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Flexible hours but generally work Thursday evenings from 17:00.
Call me on 07817 341910
Email me on benevers87@gmail.com
Further information
Please call or email me if you would like any further information.
